The Anthology of Rap

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## ***The Anthology of Rap***

### **ISBN**

9780300141900

***The Anthology of Rap*** is a 2010 rap music anthology published by Yale University Press, with Adam Bradley and Andrew DuBois as the editors. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. wrote the foreword, while Chuck D and Common wrote the afterwords. It includes rap lyrics sorted by chronology and era from 1978 until the book's publication. The book has been met with some criticism for transcription errors, though Josh Rothman of *The Boston Globe* reasoned, "It's not as though the editors were lazy. They took their lyrics through a complex vetting process, sometimes even contacting the artists for clarification. [...] The errors in the *Anthology* show just how far rap music has travelled, and just how local it was in the first place. "Transcription" is far too simple a term for what goes into producing something like the Anthology of Rap—it's more like excavation."

Lupe Fiasco has been added to the "Part IV - 2000-2010—New Millenium Rap" section, which includes excerpts of lyrics to "Dumb It Down" and "Hip-Hop Saved My Life". They wrote of the rapper, "[he] represents the changing face of hip-hop [...] rhyme style is fluid and lyrics, rich with multisyllabic international rhymes, assonance, and alliteration."

Cornel West said of the book, "*The Anthology of Rap* is an instant classic. It brings together the lyric poetry of some of the greatest artists of our time. Hip Hop is here to stay and rap lives forever—on the stage and now on the page!"

## Blurb

From the school yards of the South Bronx to the tops of the *Billboard* charts, rap has emerged as one of the most influential musical and cultural forces of our time. In *The Anthology of Rap*, editors Adam Bradley and Andrew DuBois explore rap as a literary form, demonstrating that rap is also a wide-reaching and vital poetic tradition born of beats and rhymes.

This pioneering anthology brings together more than three hundred rap and hip-hop lyrics written over thirty years, from the "old school" to the "golden age" to the present day. Rather than aim for encyclopedic coverage, Bradley and DuBois render through examples the richness and diversity of rap's poetic tradition. They feature both classic lyrics that helped define the genre, including Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's "The Message" and Eric B. & Rakim's "Microphone Fiend," as well as lesser-known gems like Blackalicious's "Alphabet Aerobics" and Jean Grae's "Hater's Anthem."

Both a fan's guide and a resource for the uninitiated, *The Anthology of Rap* showcases the inventiveness and vitality of rap's lyrical art. The volume also features an overview of rap poetics and the forces that shaped each period in rap's historical development, as well as a foreword by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and afterwords by Chuck D and Common. Enter the *Anthology* to experience the full range of rap's artistry and discover a rich poetic tradition hiding in plain sight.

## References

1. ↑ "'The Anthology Of Rap': Lyrics As Poetry". *NPR*. November 6, 2010.
2. ↑ Rothman, Josh (November 16, 2010). "Yale's *Anthology of Rap*: "Rife with Transcription Errors"". *The Boston Globe*.