Listening to rap : an introduction / Michael Berry.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Listening to beats -- Listening to poetry -- Listening to voice -- Listening to influence -- Listening to history -- Listening to commercialization -- Listening to gender and sexuality -- Listening to religion -- Listening to race and ethnicity -- Listening to space -- Listening to regional styles -- Listening to politics

"Listening to Rap: An Introduction enables students to understand the historical context, cultural impact, and unique musical characteristics of this essential genre. Each chapter explores a key topic in the study of rap music from the 1970s to today, covering themes such as race, gender, commercialization, politics, and authenticity. Synthesizing the approaches of scholars from a variety of disciplines - including music, cultural studies, African American studies, gender studies, literary criticism, and philosophy - Listening to Rap tracks the evolution of rap and hip hop while illustrating its vast cultural significance. The text features more than 60 detailed listening guides that analyze the musical elements of songs by a wide array of artists, more Afrika Bambaataaa and Grandmaster Flash to Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and more."--Back cover