Rap and Hip Hop Resources
compiled by
Andrew Leach
Librarian and Archivist
Center for Black Music Research
Introduction
This web page provides a list of resources relating to rap music and hip hop culture. In addition to being a resource for those beginning to conduct research, this list should also prove useful to librarians when providing reference service in these subject areas. Librarians with collection development responsibilities and educators may find this list valuable as well.
This web page is not intended to be a comprehensive bibliography on rap and hip hop. Rather, the sections below are selected lists of resources that may be used as reference sources or starting points for research. Additionally, since music is the primary focus of this web page, all resources devoted to hip hop culture are general in scope, and many worthwhile resources devoted specifically to non-music elements of hip hop, such as breakdancing and graffiti, have not been listed.
The citations below are arranged into sections by types of information that people may need. Arrows (→) indicate sources within a given section that are particularly recommended. Unless otherwise noted, citations for monographs refer to the most current editions.
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Definitions and Overviews
Hip Hop
→ Bynoe, Yvonne. "Introduction." Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip-Hop Culture. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2006. xix-xxviii.
→ Norfleet, Dawn M. "Hip-Hop and Rap." African American Music: An Introduction. Mellonee V. Burnim and Portia K. Maultsby, eds. New York: Routledge, 2006. 353-389.
Toop, David. "Hip hop." The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London: Macmillan, 2001.
Also available at: Grove Music Online
Rap
Bowman, Rob. "Rap." The Harvard Dictionary of Music. 4th ed. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2003.
Bynoe, Yvonne. "Rap." Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip-Hop Culture. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2006.
→ Perkins, William Eric. "The Rap Attack: An Introduction." Droppin' Science: Critical Essays on Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture. William Eric Perkins, ed. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1996. 1-45.
→ Toop, David. "Rap." The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London: Macmillan, 2001.
Also available at: Grove Music Online
Bibliographies
Chang, Jeff. "Words, Images, and Sounds: A Selected Resource Guide." Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2005. 469-495.
Cleary, Robert M. "Rap Music and Its Political Connections: An Annotated Bibliography," Reference Services Review 30 (Summer 1993): 77-90.
→ McCoy, Judy. Rap Music in the 1980s: A Reference Guide. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1992.
→ Price, Emmett George III. "Selected Print Resources." Hip Hop Culture. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2006. 231-261.
→ _____. "Selected Nonprint Resources." Hip Hop Culture. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2006. 263-291.
Ranck, John. Classified Hip-Hop, or I Wanna Blow Up Like Marilyn Monroe's Skirt
http://web.simmons.edu/~morrow/hiphopbib.html
History
→ Chang, Jeff. Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2005.
Fricke, Jim. Yes Yes Y'all: The Experience Music Project Oral History of Hip Hop's First Decade. Cambridge, Mass.: Da Capo Press, 2002.
→ George, Nelson. Hip Hop America. New York: Viking, 1998.
Hager, Steven. Hip Hop: The Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music, and Graffiti. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1984.
Light, Alan, ed. The VIBE History of Hip Hop. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999.
Ogg, Alex, and David Upshal. The Hip Hop Years: A History of Rap. New York: Fromm International, 1999.
→ Rose, Tricia. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Hanover, N.H.: Wesleyan University Press, 1994.
→ Toop, David. Rap Attack 3: African Rap to Global Hip Hop. London: Serpent's Tail, 2000.
Biographical Information
Bogdanov, Vladamir, ed. All Music Guide to Hip Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap & Hip Hop. San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 2003.
→ Online version: Allmusic.com (http://www.allmusic.com/)
Bynoe, Yvonne. Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip-Hop Culture. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2006.
Contemporary Musicians. Gale Research, Inc., 1989-
Hip Hop Divas. New York: VIBE/Three Rivers Press, 2001.
Hoffman, Frank. Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-Hop. New York: Facts On File, 2006.
McCoy, Judy. Rap Music in the 1980s: A Reference Guide. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1992.
Nelson, Havelock, and Michael A. Gonzales. Bring the Noise: A Guide to Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture. New York: Harmony Books, 1991.
→ Shapiro, Peter. The Rough Guide to Hip-Hop. 2nd ed. London: Rough Guides; New York: Distributed by Penguin Putnam, 2005.
Stancell, Steven. Rap Whoz Who: The World of Rap Music. New York: Schirmer Music, 1996.
Additional Reference Sources
"Essays," "Label Descriptions," "Essential Albums," "Essential Songs," and "Non-Rap Artists Who Influenced Rap." Bogdanov, Vladamir, ed. All Music Guide to Hip Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap & Hip Hop. San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 2003. 557-627.
Jenkins, Sacha, et al. Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1999.
→ Price, Emmett George III. "Hip Hop Culture Chronology," "Figures, Tables, and Documents," and "Selected Organizations, Associations, and Programs." Hip Hop Culture. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2006. 105-140, 193-229.
Discographies and Guides to Recordings
Billboard.com
http://www.billboard.com/
Bogdanov, Vladamir, ed. All Music Guide to Hip Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap & Hip Hop. San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 2003.
→ Online version: Allmusic.com (http://www.allmusic.com/)
Fresh, Freddy. Freddy Fresh Presents the Rap Records. Saint Paul, Minn.: Nerby Pub. LLC, 2004.
McCoy, Judy. "A Selected Discography." Rap Music in the 1980s: A Reference Guide. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1992. 186-219.
RapReviews.com
http://www.rapreviews.com/
Shapiro, Peter. The Rough Guide to Hip-Hop. 2nd ed. London: Rough Guides; New York: Distributed by Penguin Putnam, 2005.
→ Wang, Oliver. Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide. Toronto: ECW Press, 2003.
Whitburn, Joel. Joel Whitburn's Top R&B Albums, 1965-1998. Menomonee Falls, Wis.: Record Research, 1999.
Recordings
The Hip Hop Box. Hip-O Records 440 069 588-2.
Hip Hop Essentials. Tommy Boy TB 1634-2 - TB 1645-2.
Kurtis Blow Presents The History of Rap: Vol. 1: The Genesis. Rhino R2 72851.
Kurtis Blow Presents The History of Rap: Vol. 2. The Birth of Rap. Rhino R2 72852.
Kurtis Blow Presents The History of Rap: Vol. 3: The Golden Age. Rhino R2 72853.
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Publications Exclusively or Primarily Devoted to Hip Hop and Rap
Ego Trip
Hip-Hop Connection
Rap Pages
Rap Sheet
Rock and Rap Confidential
Scratch
The Source
Straight No Chaser
VIBE
Wax Poetics
Words, Beats & Life Hip Hop Journal
XXL
Popular Music Magazines
Billboard
Blues & Soul
Melody Maker
Mojo
Rolling Stone
Spin
Scholarly Music Journals
American Music
Ethnomusicology
Popular Music
Popular Music & Society
African-American Scholarly Journals
African American Review
Callaloo
Journal of Black Studies
Transition
African-American Magazines
Black Enterprise
Ebony
Jet
General Publications
Los Angeles Times
New York Times
Newsweek
Time
The Village Voice
Databases
Music Databases
Hip Hop Research Portal (http://www.hiphopportal.net/)
International Index to Music Periodicals
Music Index Online
RILM Abstracts of Music Literature
RoJaRo-Index (http://www.rojaro.com/searchname.php)
Databases on African-Americans
African-American History Online (no access at Columbia College)
Black Studies Center
General Article Databases
Academic Search Premier
Expanded Academic ASAP
LexisNexis Academic Universe
Periodicals Abstracts
Additional Databases
ABI/INFORM
Alternative Press Index
America: History & Life
Ethnic NewsWatch
Humanities International Complete
JSTOR
MLA International Bibliography
New York Times (1980-present)
New York Times (2000-present)
New York Times Historical Archive (1851-2003)
Social Sciences Full Text
Sociology Index with Full Text
Additional Articles and Essays
Cepeda, Raquel. And It Don't Stop?: The Best American Hip-Hop Journalism of the Last 25 Years. New York: Faber and Faber, 2004.
Chang, Jeff, ed. Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-Hop. New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2006.
Forman, Murray, and Mark Anthony Neal, eds. That's the Joint!: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. New York: Routledge, 2004.
Perkins, William Eric, ed. Droppin' Science: Critical Essays on Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1996.
Sexton, Adam, ed. Rap on Rap: Straight Up Talk on Hip Hop Culture. New York: Delta, 1995.
Allmusic.com
http://www.allmusic.com/
Kulkarni, Neil. Hip Hop: Bring the Noise: The Stories behind the Biggest Songs. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 2004.
Price, Emmett George III. "Appendix B: Fifty Influential Hip Hop Records (Singles)." Hip Hop Culture. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2006. 303-312.
Whitburn, Joel. Joel Whitburn Presents Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, 1942-2004. Menomonee Falls, Wis.: Record Research Inc., 2004.
Beckman, Janette. Rap: Portraits and Lyrics of a Generation of Black Rockers. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1991.
Hip-Hop & Rap: Complete Lyrics for 175 Songs. Milwaukee, Wis.: Hal Leonard, 2003.
Ogg, Alex. Rap Lyrics: From the Sugarhill Gang to Eminem. London: Wise Publications in association with Omnibus Press, 2002.
→ The Original Hip-Hop Lyrics Archive
http://www.ohhla.com/
Stanley, Lawrence A., ed. Rap: The Lyrics. New York: Penguin, 1992.
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Dictionaries and Glossaries
Fab 5 Freddy. Fresh Fly Flavor: Words & Phrases of the Hip-Hop Generation. Stamford, Conn.: Longmeadow Press, 1992.
Rap Dictionary
http://www.rapdict.org/
Stavsky, Lois, I.D. Mozeson, and Dani Reyes Mozeson. A 2 Z: The Book of Rap & Hip-Hop Slang. New York: Boulevard Books, 1995.
Westbrook, Alonzo. Hip Hoptionary: The Dictionary of Hip-Hop Terminology. New York: Harlem Moon, 2002.
Video Materials
Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme. Directed by Kevin Fitzgerald. 2000. Palm Pictures, 2004.
Scratch. Directed by Doug Pray. 2001. Palm Pictures, 2002.
Wild Style. Directed by Charlie Ahearn. 1982. Rhino Home Video, 2002.
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Classified Hip-Hop, or I Wanna Blow Up Like Marilyn Monroe's Skirt
http://web.simmons.edu/~morrow/hiphopbib.html
Experience Music Project: Hip Hop Timeline
http://www.emplive.org/exhibits/index.asp?articleID=664
Hip Hop Research Portal
http://www.hiphopportal.net/
→ Hiphop-Directory: Hip Hop Worldwide
http://www.hiphop-directory.com/
The Original Hip-Hop Lyrics Archive
http://www.ohhla.com/
Rap Dictionary
http://www.rapdict.org/
RapReviews.com
http://www.rapreviews.com/
RoJaRo-Index
http://www.rojaro.com/searchname.php
The-Breaks.com, AKA The (Rap) Sample FAQ
http://www.the-breaks.com/