The History of Hip Hop: Volume 2

Graffiti art. DJ battles. This is the story of hip hop's cultural revolution.

Hip-hop exploded from simmering inner-city streets into chart-topping beats and rhymes in the pivotal 1980s. Fusing raw social commentary with bold vision, rap music evolved from underground rebel to global phenomenon.

In "History of Hip Hop: Volume 2", author Eric Reese chronicles the iconic artists, albums, and events that shaped rap's Golden Age. Journey through hip-hop's coming of age from old school jams to new school innovation. Learn how rap spread like wildfire from the Bronx while visionaries like Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and N.W.A created controversy by keeping it real.

The book dives deep on major influences - from DJs sampling beats to MCs flowing socially-conscious lyrics...from breaking and spray can street art to fresh urban fashion and cinema...from Yo! MTV Raps to radio and vinyl spreading it worldwide. It also explores regional rivalries as hip-hop became big business on the East and West Coasts.

Experience the echoes of hip-hop's boombox era firsthand. Discover how the raw roots music of marginalized communities morphed into a creative juggernaut during a decade that changed music forever. See why 80s rap still provides the blueprint for hip-hop today.

"Every book I write goes into uncharted territories others won't pen." About me: I'm Eric Reese, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I've worked as a community organizer, educator, graphic design, human services and a number of other fields. I'm the recipient of the first Mayoral Scholarship of Philadelphia (1993), the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers Human Relations Award (1989) and a few other awards and scholarships nationally and globally. I've always had an interest in writing especially from the old-journal-in-the-morning days as many of my books today reflect my experiences here and abroad. When I have time for myself, I love traveling, mediating and researching new marketing tactics. One of my weirdest experiences was when I once lived on a top roof in an apartment building in Beirut for a few weeks until I found somewhere to stay during the war in Afghanistan. Every night, I'd listen to BBC radio and hear the chaos while not be detected. Some say that my lively and energetic character has made me many friends across the world. I really hope so; with many friends come many enemies. In the future, I'd love to own a large home somewhere in a quiet peaceful spacious area where my neighbors are not close but not far. Now I live wherever is called home in hopes of achieving my goal one of these days.