Veteran DJs Rob Swift and Rasul A. Mowatt release date their highly anticipated book The City of Hip-Hop: New York City, The Bronx, and a Peace Meeting which is available for purchase HERE.
The City of Hip-Hop: New York City, The Bronx, and a Peace Meeting, is a compelling new book that takes readers on a transformative journey into the heart of hip-hop culture and its origins in one of the most iconic cities in the world. This illuminating work explores the roots of the hip-hop movement, delving deep into its birth in The Bronx during the early 1970s and its explosive rise to global cultural dominance.
An exploration of hip-hop’s role in addressing social issues, in addition to reflecting its power as a vehicle for change and expression, The City of Hip-Hop takes a deep dive into hip-hop history with a foreword from legendary hip-hop pioneer Chuck D. The book is highly recommended for students, scholars, and general readers interested in urban planning, urban design, urban geography, place-making, American Studies, Cultural Studies, Black Studies and Latin American Studies.
The City of Hip-Hop brings together a rich tapestry of stories about the community, the struggles, the music and the historic peace efforts that have defined hip-hop’s evolution. The book highlights pivotal moments that sparked not only a cultural revolution, but also a movement for social change. An essential read for anyone interested in understanding the cultural, social and historical significance of hip-hop, The City of Hip-Hop provides a unique perspective on how one of the most powerful and influential cultural movements of the 20th and 21st centuries was shaped by the people, places and experiences of New York City, particularly The Bronx.
The City of Hip-Hop positions a unique conceptualization of the history of hip-hop, namely that it was political, economic, and social forces that produced the environment for hip-hop to grow specifically in the geographies of New York City and its boroughs. Written by Rob Swift and Rasul Mowatt, the book argues it was the political forces of the 1970s, combined with economic forces of free market capitalism and privatization of public services, neoliberalism, and the deindustrialization of major cities, that led to the cultural creation of the “Boogie Down” Bronx. The City of Hip-Hop shows how hip-hop is a socio-political reaction that creates an alternate reality with a geographic specificity, and it is this interplay with those forces that nurtured it to become a cultural force.
Once those of us, as fans of the culture, zoom out to see the bigger picture, a need for criticism and retelling of the culture and art of hip-hop emerges. This book is essential for students, scholars, and general readers interested in urban planning, urban design, urban geography, place-making, American Studies, Cultural Studies, Black Studies, and Latin American Studies.
© 2024, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
