Total Chaos
The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-Hop
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- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
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نقد و بررسی
December 4, 2006
In this wide-ranging, academic anthology of essays, interviews and panel discussions, 2005 American Book Award–winner Jeff Chang (Can't Stop, Won't Stop
) presents hip-hop's past, present and future as seen by some of its founding figures, guiding lights, journalists and scholars. From a post–civil rights era grassroots phenomenon born in the streets of the Bronx, N.Y., hip-hop has become a global cultural movement whose stylistic impact and social perspectives clearly extend beyond popular rap music. Part manifesto, part apologia, the collection takes on such topics as the aesthetics behind hip-hop photography and graffiti, offers an informative history of hip-hop dance and assesses hip-hop's effects on literature and theater, while pursuing debates about identity, sexuality and homophobia. Especially intriguing are pieces documenting hip-hop's sociopolitical influence in Cuba (Chang's interview with filmmaker Eli Jacobs-Fauntauzzi) and South Africa (an essay by Capetown natives Shaheen Ariefdien, performer/anthropologist, and Nazli Abrahams, an educator). Not surprisingly, amid talk about "keepin' it real" and multiculturalism, multiple definitions of hip-hop emerge—ideas and values that are as varied and contradictory as the book's attempt to critically scrutinize hip-hop in context.
December 1, 2006
After his history of hip-hop, "Can't Stop Won't Stop", journalist Chang offers an aptly titled anthology on this music-art-culture agglomerate, with contributions from an authoritative and varied crew of hip-hop scholars, advocates, and artists. Here, Chang attempts a survey of the state of hip-hop today and works to answer the popular question, "What is hip-hop?" Loosely organized into five sections dealing with the history of hip-hop, hip-hop beyond the four elements (rapping, DJing, graffiti, and break dancing), identity in the hip-hop generation, international hip-hop, and the future of hip-hop, the text ranges from poetry and essays to panel discussions and interviews. What is historicized here (e.g., Jorge "Fabel" Pabon of the Rock Steady Crew on hip-hop dance) vs. what is actively discussed (e.g., "Vibe"'s Danyel Smith on the tension between street lit and black literary fiction) sheds light on hip-hop's chaotic but rooted journey. Not designed for research purposes, the collection stands up to a straight-through read. Recommended for popular culture and music collections.Anna Katterjohn, Library Journal
Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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