Groove Music: The Art and Culture of the Hip-Hop DJ
"If there was one book I had to get on DJ culture, it would be this one! There are so many DJ books out there ... but this one on hip-hop is my cup o' tea! " --DJ QBert"Groove Musicis an extensive look at the DJ, the heartbeat of hip-hop culture. Mark Katz successfully documents the art form that has defined me as an artist and human being. Props to him for exposing the world to what we do with turntables." --Rob Swift, turntablist"Katz brings to life the vivid art and social worlds of hip-hop's most important and understudied pioneers: the DJs." --Tricia Rose, author ofBlack Noise and Hip Hop Wars"Groove Musicis an essential resource, a lucid combination of history and how-to. Thewriting is excellent, the research is thorough, and Katz's affection for the topic is contagious. It's certainly a seminal contribution to musicology, as well as a good read for any music fan." --Albin Zak, Professor of Music, State University of New York, Albany"A ridiculously rich goldmine of information...as authoritative as it gets." --DJWorx.com"Katz's exhaustive research and attention to detail have produced a gripping study that goes a long way towards filling the knowledge gap.Groove Musicis strongly recommended to anyone with an interest in popular music and culture formations." --Times Higher Education"Mark Katz provides a beautifully written account of the DJ's evolution inGroove Music: The Art and Culture of the Hip-Hop DJthat is sure to stand as the go-to text for anyone seeking knowledge about the who, what, when, where, why and how of DJ culture. No one--and here I would include outsiders, passing fans, hardcore hip-hop heads as well as seasoned DJs--will come away from this book without learning something new." --Dancecult"A valuable resource...Highly recommended." --Choice"A crucial addition to the discourse surrounding hip-hop, utilizing a strong ethnographic framework to provide the most concise survey of hip-hop DJ communities, performance techniques, and technologies of production to date...The author>'s sensitivity to the cultural concerns of hip-hop artists, as well as the precise and accessible manner in which the research is presented, makeGroove Musicnecessary reading for anyone interestedin the topic." --ARSC Journal"DJs, researchers working in various areas (popular musicology, cultural studies, American studies, etc.) and the casual reader with an interest in hiphop will all find much to engage them in this book. Katz's fanatical enthusiasm permeates the work's scholarly tone, producing an informed narrative which remains vigorous at all times and leads the reader through almost 40 years of musical evolution with great momentum yet careful control." --Journal of Music, Technology & Education"A well-researched historical account of the legacy and cultural influence of hip-hop DJs that will prove useful to any scholar or student of popular music. Not only is Katz's book a compelling contribution to hip-hop scholarship, it is witty and accessible enough to serve as inspiration for future turntablists and current practitioners discovering their own roots." --College Music Symposium"Should be considered a foundational reading for anyone wanting to understand the context for the hip-hop's historical emergence, evolution and contemporary position in American musical culture...Groove Musicis to be lauded for supporting the legitimacy of hip-hop DJ culture--something that hip-hop DJs have struggled to educate music listeners aboutsince hip- hop's beginnings." --Journal of Popular Culture"A thoroughly researched, comprehensive, and well-written narrative history of [hip-hop's] practices...Katz's book is an important contribution towards our understanding of the many facets of hip-hop culture...Groove Music's insightful and intelligent consideration of the world of the hip-hop DJ will be a landmark for years to come." --Notes"Katz provides a masterclass on how to write an academic book that is rigorous but has a wider appeal beyond the ivory tower." --Music & Letters