Grammy Museum Celebrates Hip-Hip: A Cultural Odyssey Book Launch & Exhibit

The legendary Afrika Bambaataa spinning at the event above.

via Variety

Hip-hop is receiving its first major exhibition at the Grammy Museum, as "Hip-Hop: A Cultural Odyssey" opened this week in the L.A. Live facility.

The show, which runs at the Recording Academy's facility through May 4, is especially timely this Grammy Week. Rapper Eminem is this year's top Grammy nominee, with 10 nods including recognition in the top categories of album, record and song of the year. Earlier this week, hip-hop was feted in the Grammy Foundation's annual preservation event at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

The Grammy Museum exhibit was timed to coincide with the Feb. 8 publication of Aria Multmedia's like-titled tome, an overview of hip-hop history edited by Jordan Sommers with contributions by such well-known observers as Dan Charnas (author of the well-reviewed new book "The Big Payback"), Cheo Hodari Coker and Greg Tate.

Read the full story HERE

Photos from the event:
Patrick McMullan

Interviews with Money B, DJ Z-Trip and DJ Quik from the event below courtesy of SeanBourgoisWebb.

Trick Daddy Book Signing Photos Available

main image via the 305

Trick Daddy's book signing took place Tuesday, Nov. 16 at Barnes & Noble in Pembroke Pines, FL.

Photos available here

Book Synopsis: Magic City: Trials of a Native Son (MTV/Gallery Books; November 16, 2010; $16.00), chronicles Trick Daddy’s story against the backdrop of Miami, the Magic City. It is an extraordinary story, of a childhood marked by poverty, a crime-laden adolescence, an incarceration, a meteoric rise to fame, and a struggle with a potentially fatal medical condition. It’s the story of a boy whose father was a pimp; who, left to his own devices, learned to hustle to survive and whose only role model was his brother, the drug dealer he watched plying his trade on the block. But while his story is remarkable, the most astonishing part is that he is not only still alive, but that he got out.

Magic City: Trials Of A Native Son is the story of how that potent mixture of extremes, the dazzling beauty and glittering wealth of the Magic City, and the crime, the corruption and the despair playing out in its shadows gave rise to what has now become the most dominant sound in hip hop, in the process revitalizing a stagnant art form. MAGIC CITY, told in Bailey’s artful prose, is an ode to the city of Miami, a riveting tale of a paradise lost.

Decoded: Conversation With Jay-Z / Dr. Cornel West New York Public Library (Video)

via Fora.tv

Jay-Z 'Decoded' in-stores today!

Photo links:
Getty Images
Wire Image

50 Cent:'The 50th Law' Book Collaborator & Author Robert Greene Interview w/CBS

Watch CBS News Videos Online

via CBS News

Learn more about Robert Greene & 'The 50th Law':
Power Seduction and War

To order a copy:
Amazon - The 50th Law by 50 Cent and Robert Greene

KRS One Releasing Book 'The Gospel of Hip Hop'

KRS-One - The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument available November 9.

Synopsis:
Rap pioneer KRS-One is the self proclaimed prophet of a new religion: Hip-Hop religion. KRS-One announced he will soon release The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument, a 600-page book that examines the spirituality of Hip-Hop culture. The Hip-hop artist and founder of the Stop the Violence Movement, KRS-One, aka Boogie Down Production’s “Teacha”, claims his soon to be released spiritual book is the announcement of a new Hip-Hop religion on earth.

read more about the book here:
The Guardian UK

Photos from recent KRS-One book event at the Red Bull Space NYC here:
Rule4080.com

Pre-order your copy here:
Amazon

Hip Hop Book Has Global View In 'Hip Hop World'

Canadian's Exclaim talks with author Dalton Higgins about his new book 'Hip Hop World.' Not only does Mr. Higgens discuss Hip Hop as an American cultural phenomenon, but oustside of our western boarders with reaching the rest of the world.

Exclaim: What do you think is lacking and missing in hip-hop today?

Dalton Higgins: When you look at some of what makes music culture thrive. Certainly some of the evidence especially in the West is that rap music has taken a hit, right? Let's take a look at who people acknowledge as the greatest MCs of all time Notorious B.I.G., Tupac. Tupac's posthumous CDs sell more than new releases y'know and people spend a lot of time pining wanting to go back to the golden era and pining for [Biggie's] unreleased studio outtakes or for Rakim to come out. People are constantly from teenagers to 30-somethings ― they are always pining for things of the past. That to me tells me there's clearly something lacking or missing in the present day format in what's coming out of the West, right? But also to be honest some of the most interesting articulations of rap music are not coming from the West. It's M.I.A., a Sri Lankan Tamil. That to me is a lot more exciting than some of the East coast rap inspirations that I grew up on. The same thing would go for somebody like K'naan who is Somalian proud. He's a nomadic guy; he's lived in different places. Some of the most exciting so-called hip-hop projects that are out now, they're not necessarily about progressive politics, globalization or talking about youth culture and issue-oriented things. They are also fun and good to dance to. It's K'naan and M.I.A., things like that I'm getting more stimuli from, to be honest you know.

Read more of the article here:
Exclaim - Hip Hop World author Dalton Higgins

Pre-order your copy here:
Amazon - Hip Hop World: A Groundwork Guide

Jay-Z new book deal in the works?

According to The New York Observer, Jay-Z plans to release a book commenting on and telling the stories behind his lyrics plus two other books one traditional memoir and another a business book.

This will be the first book by Jay-Z, who famously claims never to write down his lyrics on paper. When it will be published is unknown. The multiplatinum-selling rapper's next album, The Blueprint III, is scheduled for release on Sept. 11, 2009.

Read more of the article here

We here at Hooked On That are not sure what the real deal is about this Jay-Z book, as it has been mythically talked about for quite some time. It being the 25th Anniversary of Def Jam and with a new 'Blueprint 3' arriving this September, it would only make sense to have a Jay-Z book(s). Whatever develops, we'll keep you posted.

Rick Rubin: In the Studio new book release date announced

This is something that has pique my interests, an in depth book about Rick Rubin: In the Studio. Early in his career, Rick Rubin was synonymous with making great hip hop productions and starting Def Jam with Russell Simmons from his NYU dorm room. Cut to 2009/2010 while now based in Los Angeles, Rick Rubin is still producing some of the today's music greats. In the coming months, I look forward to hearing his production cut(s?) off of The Clipse's new album "Till The Casket Drops" and of course, more great music productions to follow.

(via press clipping)
On August 11, ECW Press will issue the 300-page book "Rick Rubin: in the Studio" by biographer Jake Brown. Nearly three years of meticulous research went into the making of the book, which documents the roots of Rubin's rise as one of the industry's most singularly influential record producers and A&R men, chronicles the making of such ground-breaking Def Jam-era classic LPs as the BEASTIE BOYS' seminal "License to Ill" and RUN DMC's "Raising Hell", his legendary, career-resurrecting collaboration with Johnny Cash, and of course, Rubin's countless successes in the studio with such wide-ranging rock/metal superstars as the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SLAYER, AUDIOSLAVE, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, WEEZER, DANZIG, THE CULT, LINKIN PARK, METALLICA and others.

Pre-order the book from Amazon here

See how Jay-Z and music producer Rick Rubin work in the studio making "99 Problems".