But whoâs the âweâ here? This book, which claims to be about the "poetics" of hip-hop, is in fact a very pedestrian, shallow look at the most obtuse and evident aspects of hip-hop. The articulation of experience and the influences of contemporary conditions that inform cultural identities frequently emerge within the arena of the hip-hop culture as a series of I felt like he could have gone more into some other aspects of hip-hop culture like live performance, collaborations, remixing - but otherwise, solid book. And the Brooklyn rapper Fabolousâs brusque style earns comparisons to John Skeltonâs chain rhyming â which might as well be hip-hop, 16th-century style: âTell you I chyll, / If that ye wyll / A whyle be styll, / Of a comely gyll / That dwelt on a hyll.â Such parallels are vital to Bradleyâs central claim: âThe best M.C.âs . Book Of Rhymes The Poetics Of Hip Hop By Adam Bradley : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. Interesting read. If you want to know how reach thousands if not millions of listeners and (ahem) readers with poetry, this is a great book to start. "―Cornel West "I [am] fascinated by what I would call the emergent 'artcademic' perspective [Bradley] was describing. His Book of Rhymes is a tour de force, brilliantly renovating hip hop criticism as he rescues the forgotten vanguard of American poetry.” Cornel West “Adam Bradley's Book of Rhymes is a marvelous exploration into the poetic genius of rap and the cultural gravity of Hip Hop. Also there weren't enough women, and non-black-male artists were Eminem. Unfortunately I was rather dismayed by Bradley's lack of diversity of rap artists. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Book of Rhymes : The Poetics of Hip Hop by Adam Bradley (2017, Trade Paperback, Revised edition) at the best online prices at eBay! poetry that is popular in the marketplace -- it's gone a long way to reshaping the scene of popular american songcraft as well. Really, there wasn't enough content to sustain the number of pages. Jeff Chang, editor, Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-Hop Where some hear noise, Adam Bradley hears the past and future of poetics. English | score: 2 Book of Rhymes explores America's least understood poets, unpacking their surprisingly complex craft, and according rap poetry the respect it … Adam Bradleyâs âBook of Rhymesâ is the crash course for you. I enjoyed most of the information, but be warned there are some profanities quoted from songs. The great parts were when he quoted from the rappers themselves. Woop! His analysis is subtle, sophisticated, and soulful!” Jeff Chang, editor, Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-Hop “Where some hear noise, Adam Bradley hears the past and future of poetics. That there are no-count em-no references to Queen Latifah, Salt and Pepa( or Spinderella), The Mercedes Ladies or TLC? He talks about 50 so much in the book. Which leads to the conclusion that I got what I deserved. His analysis is subtle, sophisticated, and soulful! As someone who has never really been into rap, I can attest to the interest this book generated within me. He discusses the importance of rhyme, rhythm, wordplay, and all that. This book, which claims to be about the "poetics" of hip-hop, is in fact a very pedestrian, shallow look at the most obtuse and evident aspects of hip-hop. While he sometimes prattles on without adding much substance to his argument, he nevertheless offers some meaningful insights into the connection between ancient song and modern music. "Book fo Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop" is both an introduction of sorts to hip hop and rap and breaks down how rap/hip hop is one of the most popular forms and dynamic forms I would add of poetry that;s on the air and hips of young and old day and night. $16.95. Weâd love your help. "Hip hop, hippity hop...". Short and easy. In It's Bigger Than Hip Hop, M. K. Asante, Jr. looks at the rise of a generation that sees beyond the smoke and mirrors of corporate-manufactured hip hop and … Drop all your biases against rap and hip hop. Easy to read, and although it goes into technical, poetic terms (which is obvious from the title) it does so in a way that is fairly simple to understand. Bradley, who teaches literature at ClareÂmont McKenna College in California, distinguishes himself from the growing glut of hip-hop scholars by writing a book about rap, as opposed to hip-hop: not a study of the culture or a history of the movement, but a formalist critique of lyrics â almost an anachronistic effort in the era of cultural Âstudies. Bradley wants to legitimize rap by setting it in a canonical context, but arenât we past the point of justifying it? It was also written for people who don't actually listen to rap (from the horrible intro describing what a r. I wanted this book to either teach me the technicalities of rhyme in an entertaining way or teach me about the history of rhythmic structures in rap, but it was mostly disappointing on both counts. Makes a case that poetry (and public interest in it) is not dead, but is alive and well... in hip hop. I guess I am just dissappointed that the book did not celebrate the great poetry of artists like Guru, KMD, Main Source, Pete Rock/CL Smooth, and other artists whose rhymes really can be seen as great art. I wanted this book to either teach me the technicalities of rhyme in an entertaining way or teach me about the history of rhythmic structures in rap, but it was mostly disappointing on both counts. The is an enjoyable look at the beginning of Hip Hop, rap, rhythmic beats, and poetic lyrics in the urban music scene. Rap Realism Ice T Book Of Rhymes The Poetics Of Hip Hop By Adam Bradley. Or that his choice in hip hop is so throughly modern, as in his slavish defense of lil Wayne at a time where millions of black people aren't int. “Hip-hop is a beautiful culture. . Luckily, a new paradigm of scholarship is emerging, and Adam Bradley’s “Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop” is a solid contribution. This would be a great intro for someone who literally knows nothing about rap, but it didn't do anything more than scratch the surface. Bradley's analysis of the intersection between poetry and hip-hop (including rap) is interesting and insightful. That the only references to female MC's are 2 sentences about Lauryn Hill, and one reference to Mc Lyte, Roxanne Shante, Sha rock, and Jean Grae? The book â essentially English 101 meets Hip-Hop Studies 101 â is an analysis of what Bradley calls âthe most widely disseminated poetry in the history of the worldâ: rap, which he rightly says âis poetry, but its popularity relies in part on people not recognizing it as such.â. "Book fo Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop" is both an introduction of sorts to hip hop and rap and breaks down how rap/hip hop is one of the most popular forms and dynamic forms I would add of poetry that;s on the air and hips of young and old day and night. As an English major and a hip-hop fan, I had high hopes for this book and its exploration of what can be gained from a poetic analysis of hip-hop. ...and quoting some awesome lyrics along the way :), Bradley's analysis of the intersection between poetry and hip-hop (including rap) is interesting and insightful. But I don't think he will go down as a great lyricist. Be the first to ask a question about Book of Rhymes. This item: Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop by Adam Bradley Paperback $17.75 That the only references to female MC's are 2 sentences about Lauryn Hill, and one reference to Mc Lyte, Roxanne Shante, Sha rock, and Jean Grae? He has a bit of a conservative bent throughout in that he doesn't address the politics of hip hop at all, but maybe that's good seeing as how he lists conservative grump Henry Louis Gates Jr. Disclosure: I'm into poetry and prosody, wrote my masters thesis on poetry, and also am deeply interested in and ambivalent about hip hop as a poetic form. Rap is obviously a genre of music in popular culture, but it is also a dramatic medium. Next comes rhyme: âthe music M.C.âs make with their mouths.â âA skillfully rendered rhyme strikes a balance between expectation and noveltyâ â e.g., âMy grammar pays like Carlos Santana plays,â per Lauryn Hill â and for rappers, rhyme âprovides the necessary formal constraints on their potentially unfettered poetic freedom.â The chapter entitled âWordplayâ is the strongest, and thatâs appropriate, since play is what hip-hop does best. And yet hip hop is the source of some of the most exciting developments in verse today. Book of Rhymes The Poetics of Hip Hop. Looking back at âthe Humpty Danceâ itâs hard to take hip hop too seriously as a form of poetry... by reading this book, though, you'll see a good argument made for the seriousness of hip hop and rap; the true meaning and intensity of these lyrics. Why? Melle Mel, left, and Grandmaster Flash, 1983.