Daryle Dirty Ryse grew up in East Oakland, California where growing up in the Hood yielded few illustrious outcomes. One indiscretion of the rapper's youth, an afternoon robbery, would come back to haunt the rapper and his cohort Richard Clean Washington, at the same time Dirty signed a muti-million dollar record deal with Sony. Handsome, smart, a straight A student, the victim's mad son never forgot what the young teen did to his mother on that fateful summer of 2007. Years afterwards while Dirty rose up to mass superstardom, revenge was the order of the day for the victim's son, Frederick. While the rapper of the century's hit tune "Dirty Ass Bitch," (DAB), became a worldwide smash, the killer stayed on his heels. He stopped at nothing to avenge his mother's early death.

The neighborhoods of Fifth Ward, Fourth Ward, Third Ward, and the Southside of Houston, Texas, gave birth to Houston rap, a vibrant music scene that has produced globally recognized artists such as Geto Boys, DJ Screw, Pimp C and Bun B of UGK, Fat Pat, Big Moe, Z-Ro, Lil’ Troy, and Paul Wall. Lance Scott Walker and photographer Peter Beste spent a decade documenting Houston’s scene, interviewing and photographing the people—rappers, DJs, producers, promoters, record label owners—and places that give rap music from the Bayou City its distinctive character. Their collaboration produced the books Houston Rap and Houston Rap Tapes. This second edition of Houston Rap Tapes amplifies the city’s hip-hop history through new interviews with Scarface, Slim Thug, Lez Moné, B L A C K I E, Lil’ Keke, and Sire Jukebox of the original Ghetto Boys. Walker groups the interviews into sections that track the different eras and movements in Houston rap, with new photographs and album art that reveal the evolution of the scene from the 1970s to today’s hip-hop generation. The interviews range from the specifics of making music to the passions, regrets, memories, and hopes that give it life. While offering a view from some of Houston’s most marginalized areas, these intimate conversations lay out universal struggles and feelings. As Willie D of Geto Boys writes in the foreword, “Houston Rap Tapes flows more like a bunch of fellows who haven’t seen each other for ages, hanging out on the block reminiscing, rather than a calculated literary guide to Houston’s history.”

In Old Town Road, Chris Molanphy considers Lil Nas X’s debut single as pop artifact, chart phenomenon, and cultural watershed. “Old Town Road” was more than a massive hit, with the most weeks at No. 1 in Billboard Hot 100 history. It is also a prism through which to track the evolution of popular music consumption and the ways race influences how the music industry categorizes songs and artists. By both lionizing and satirizing genre tropes—it’s a country song built from an alternative rock sample, a hip-hop song in which nobody raps, a comical song that transcends novelty, and a queer anthem—Lil Nas X troubles the very idea of genre. Ultimately, Molanphy shows how “Old Town Road” channeled decades of Americana to point the way toward our cultural future.

Knowledge Reigns Supreme: The Critical Pedagogy of Hip-hop Artist KRS-ONE argues for the inclusionary practice of studying and interpreting postmodern texts in today’s school curriculum using a (Hip-hop) cultural studies and critical theory approach, thus creating a transformative curriculum. Based on the work of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, the text argues that the implementation of teaching strategies and techniques derived from Hip-hop culture and specifically the rap lyrics of legendary Hip-hop pioneer and activist, Lawrence Parker, aka KRS-ONE (Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone) is an empowering, liberating pedagogy for educators, prospective educators and students of diverse backgrounds. The purpose of Knowedge Reigns Supreme ... is to analyze and critique KRS-ONE’s rap lyrics as a postmodern text and as one concrete example of critical literacy, particularly because of the emancipatory potential it has for educating all youth, regardless of race, class or ethnicity. KRS-ONE’s lyrical career began in 1986 and continues today with the inclusion of lecture tours and performances at universities nationally and internationally. He is one of the most sought after collegiate speakers in the country, visiting over 200 universities, including: Clark, Yale, Moorehouse, Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Temple, Howard, Spellman, and UCLA. Knowledge Reigns Supreme ... also provides educators with pedagogical strategies that can be implemented in the classroom. Educators teaching courses in pedagogy, language arts, social studies, research and methodology at the high school (9-12), undergraduate and graduate levels will find the contents of this text useful.

The Humours of Black Life exposes the underbelly of African-American culture in much the same way the successful "Preppie Handbook" unmasked WASP life in the '80s. Naturally, having been written on CP (colored people's) time, it has taken a bit longer to bring the colorful insights of The Humours of Black Life to light. Using a mix of humor, sarcasm, and irony, Humours explores the life and times of Black folks in America. From the legacy of their African past, to the culture of slavery, to the philosophical poles of Cool and Conscience, to razor edged Hip Hop, Humours of Black Life chronicles the ways and why-fors of Black life without regrets, apologies, or recriminations in embarrassingly frank detail. Beneath its humor, The Humours of Black Life makes a very positive statement about being Black in America. It is a history lesson for those that don't know the history and a social commentary for those who think they know all there is to know. "A Must Read" —Detroit Freedom Press "A Laugh Riot…I saw me or someone I knew in every hilarious chapter!" —Essencent Magazine "Like, for real. This is it, they said it all! —Amsterdam Mews

His lyrics are a lesson in history. His songs are a movement in groove theory. His book is a light out of the dark that will change the way you think about America and the world as a whole. From Rap to Hip-Hop, Gangsta to Trip-Hop, Chuck D, his Bomb Squad, and his monumental band, Public Enemy, have been a sonic, singular, and transcendental force in modern music. As a poet and philosopher, Chuck D has been the hard rhymer, rolling anthems off his tongue in an era of apathy, tapping into the youth culture of the world for more than a decade. Fight the Power, his first book, part memoir, part treatise, part State of the Union Address, is a testament to his nearly twenty years in the music business and his experiences around the world. Here is a history of one of the most important and controversial musical movements of our century, its impact on modern culture, and the heroes and victims it has created in its wake. Chuck D has never been just a rapper. He's an artist, a rock 'n' roll star who's shared the spotlight with everyone from U2 to Anthrax. He's fought to bridge the gap between musical genres and cultural differences. He is truly the voice of a generation. Startling, gripping, and uncompromising, Fight the Power is most of all the story of one man's struggle to bring about change in this difficult world at all costs. It is certain to take its place among the classics of African American experience.

The birthplace of American rock climbing, Colorado provides a greater variety of rock and routes than any other state—and Rock Climbing Colorado is the only guidebook available to all its major climbing areas. This updated edition includes hundreds of routes. Included are the big cliffs and faces of Rocky Mountain National Park and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, as well as the smaller crags and outcrops of Pikes Peak, Boulder, Rifle, Shelf Road, Elevenmile Canyon, and many more. All areas covered include first-hand overviews, route descriptions, topos, and full-color photos. Rock Climbing Colorado is ideal for anyone aiming to discover, or rediscover, the diverse and wonderful rock climbing found in the Centennial State.

A long time in the futurein the Milky Wayfar, far too close for comfort. . . Dr. Lam-I-Am-Alpha-Omega-Man-Zoff, the last living man from V.E.N.U.S., embarks on an expedition with a group of multicultural Lam Brain shock-jock faculty members and hip-hop students back to Mother Earth Gaia in search of the missing DNA of the twelve tribes of Israel. Lam meets molecular eugenicist Dr. Europa Mann, the rainbow-skinned clone of the goddess Europa of Greek mythology, and her cloned half bull-man Minotaur lover-god Zeus, who lead Lam and Lam Brain U faculty and students to Noahs ark and the fascinating world of the reemerged lost continent of Atlantis. Will Dr. Lam be able to create Venus into the new Mother Earth, by resurrecting the twelve tribes of Israel and all the extinct species that once flourished on planet Earth prior to the great flood? Could they then restore the matriarchy and biodiversity of the lost continent of Atlantis for galactic peace for all earthlings throughout the Milky Way? Will Lam Brains new world be able to free the masses of earthlings from enslavement from the genes of wrath of the red planet? Will the elitist galactic oppressors (EGOs) from all of hisdestroy finally be resurrected and brought to justice to pay reparations as reasonable compensation to the Venusians for all the pain and suffering for almost four thousand years of enslavement and genocide of their ancestors? Dr. Lam asks everyone just one question, I know were all victims of one sort or another, but cant we all just get along? But, the Universe said: "No!" Please visit www.youscreenwriter.com and www.genesofwrath.com for more information

Follow Jacob as he leaves the safety of the mouse village for a taste of blackberries and a daring adventure, only to come face to face with the menacing Swamp Rats and their vicious leader, Caine. Jacob, inspired by his grandfather’s tale of “The Legend of the Great Mouse,” longs for an adventure of his own. When he steps beyond the village with his friend Rudy on a simple blackberry hunt, they are unexpectedly captured by the feared Swamp Rats. Inside this dangerous realm, they meet an unexpected ally, a rat burdened with guilt and yearning for redemption. As the story progresses, Jacob and his new friend’s destinies intertwine as they discover deeper truths about family, friendship, and the transformative power of forgiveness. However, lurking in the shadows is the sinister Caine, an escaped lab rat who grows increasingly unhinged as the situation unfolds. As Jacob navigates the swamps, he and his allies must confront Caine’s dark ambitions. Will they be able to outsmart this formidable foe, or will the story of their adventure in tragedy? Perfect for young readers who love tales of camaraderie, redemption, and high-stakes adventure, Freedom Through the Narrow Gate is a heart-stirring continuation of the world introduced in The Oasis King.

An illustrated highlight reel of more than 100 women in rap who have helped shape the genre and eschewed gender norms in the process, The Motherlode “shines a bright light on a history of overlooked female talent and breaks down the ingenuity of our current generation of stars” (Issa Rae, creator and star of HBO’s Insecure). Clover Hope’s comprehensive history showcases more than 100 women who have shaped the power, scope, and reach of rap music, including pioneers like Roxanne Shanté, game changers like Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott, and current reigning queens like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Lizzo—as well as everyone who came before, after, and in between. Some of these women were respected but not widely celebrated. Some are impossible not to know. Some of these women have stood on their own; others were forced into templates, compelled to stand beside men in big rap crews. Some have been trapped in a strange critical space between respected MC and object. They are characters, caricatures, lyricists, at times both feminine and explicit. The Motherlode profiles each of these women, their musical and career breakthroughs, and the ways in which they each helped change the culture of rap. Illustrations by Rachelle Baker “This book is achingly overdue. Women in hip-hop, as musicians, journalists, and executives, have always dealt with a staggering and sobering truth. Hip-hop, which we love and hold dear, does not always love us back. With The Motherlode, Clover Hope loves on us. She peels back the layers—the joy and pain—and makes sure our untold stories are now told and retold.” —Aliya S. King, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Keep the Faith