Rakuten Kobo

Only God Can Judge Me

The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur

by Jeff Pearlman ...

Spotify Best Audiobooks of the Year • Boston Globe Best Books of the Year • Guardian Best Music Books of the Year • Mother Jones Best Books of the Year • Rolling Stone Best Music Books of the Year“Jeff Pearlman breaks down Tupac’s life like a veteran sportswriter examining a dynasty. This detailed look at his life is the work of a writer who understands the ego of greatness.”—Chuck D“Pearlman ... Read more

$12.99 USD

Spotify Best Audiobooks of the Year • Boston Globe Best Books of the Year • Guardian Best Music Books of the Year • Mother Jones Best Books of the Year • Rolling Stone Best Music Books of the Year“Jeff Pearlman breaks down Tupac’s life like a veteran sportswriter examining a dynasty. This detailed look at his life is the work of a writer who understands the ego of greatness.”—Chuck D“Pearlman
... Read more
From the Streets of Shaolin

The Wu-Tang Saga

by S. H. Fernando Jr. ...

This definitive biography of rap supergroup, Wu-Tang Clan, features decades of unpublished interviews and unparalleled access to members of the group and their associates.This is the definitive biography of rap supergroup and cultural icons, Wu-Tang Clan (WTC). Heralded as one of the most influential groups in modern music—hip hop or otherwise—WTC created a rap dynasty on the strength of seven ... Read more

$14.99 USD

This definitive biography of rap supergroup, Wu-Tang Clan, features decades of unpublished interviews and unparalleled access to members of the group and their associates.This is the definitive biography of rap supergroup and cultural icons, Wu-Tang Clan (WTC). Heralded as one of the most influential groups in modern music—hip hop or otherwise—WTC created a rap dynasty on the strength of seven
... Read more
Sonita

My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom

by Sonita Alizada ...

2026 AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ALEX AWARD WINNERNearly 15 million girls, including many in the U.S., are forced into marriage each year. Each of these girls has a price tag—and a story. Sonita Alizada was almost sold twice. Her price tag was $9,000. The money her family received for selling her would pay for her brother’s wife.The first time Sonita was put up for sale, she was 10 years old and ... Read more

$12.99 USD

2026 AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ALEX AWARD WINNERNearly 15 million girls, including many in the U.S., are forced into marriage each year. Each of these girls has a price tag—and a story. Sonita Alizada was almost sold twice. Her price tag was $9,000. The money her family received for selling her would pay for her brother’s wife.The first time Sonita was put up for sale, she was 10 years old and
... Read more
High and Rising

A Book About De La Soul

by Marcus J. Moore ...

A stunning cultural biography of De La Soul, the era-defining hip-hop trio that touched millions of lives and changed rap forever.De La Soul burst onto the scene with the release of their groundbreaking 1989 album 3 Feet High & Rising, an “anything goes” hip-hop masterpiece hailed as a new masterwork from a bygone era of Black experimentation.Formed in Long Island in 1988 by Kelvin “Posdnuos” ... Read more

$12.99 USD

A stunning cultural biography of De La Soul, the era-defining hip-hop trio that touched millions of lives and changed rap forever.De La Soul burst onto the scene with the release of their groundbreaking 1989 album 3 Feet High & Rising, an “anything goes” hip-hop masterpiece hailed as a new masterwork from a bygone era of Black experimentation.Formed in Long Island in 1988 by Kelvin “Posdnuos”
... Read more
Dilla Time

The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm

by Dan Charnas ...

**WINNER OF THE PEN/**JACQUELINE BOGRAD WELD AWARD FOR BIOGRAPHYNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“This book is a must for everyone interested in illuminating the idea of unexplainable genius.” —QUESTLOVEEqual parts biography, musicology, and cultural history, Dilla Time chronicles the life and legacy of J Dilla, a musical genius who transformed the sound of popular music for the twenty-first century... ... Read more

$12.99 USD

**WINNER OF THE PEN/**JACQUELINE BOGRAD WELD AWARD FOR BIOGRAPHYNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“This book is a must for everyone interested in illuminating the idea of unexplainable genius.” —QUESTLOVEEqual parts biography, musicology, and cultural history, Dilla Time chronicles the life and legacy of J Dilla, a musical genius who transformed the sound of popular music for the twenty-first century...
... Read more
The Musical Artistry of Rap

by Martin E. Connor ...

For years Rap artists have met with mixed reception--acclaimed by fans yet largely overlooked by scholars. Focusing on 135 tracks from 56 artists, this survey appraises the artistry of the genre with updates to the traditional methods and measures of musicology.Rap synthesizes rhythmic vocals with complex beats, intonational systems, song structures, orchestration and instrumentalism. The author ... Read more

$16.39 USD

For years Rap artists have met with mixed reception--acclaimed by fans yet largely overlooked by scholars. Focusing on 135 tracks from 56 artists, this survey appraises the artistry of the genre with updates to the traditional methods and measures of musicology.Rap synthesizes rhythmic vocals with complex beats, intonational systems, song structures, orchestration and instrumentalism. The author
... Read more
DJ Screw

A Life in Slow Revolution

by Lance Scott Walker ...

Series series American Music Series
DJ Screw, a.k.a. Robert Earl Davis Jr., changed rap and hip-hop forever. In the 1990s, in a spare room of his Houston home, he developed a revolutionary mixing technique known as chopped and screwed. Spinning two copies of a record, Screw would “chop” in new rhythms, bring in local rappers to freestyle over the tracks, and slow the recording down on tape. Soon Houstonians were lining up to buy his ... Read more

$21.59 USD

DJ Screw, a.k.a. Robert Earl Davis Jr., changed rap and hip-hop forever. In the 1990s, in a spare room of his Houston home, he developed a revolutionary mixing technique known as chopped and screwed. Spinning two copies of a record, Screw would “chop” in new rhythms, bring in local rappers to freestyle over the tracks, and slow the recording down on tape. Soon Houstonians were lining up to buy his
... Read more
Decoded

by Jay-Z ...

Decoded is a book like no other: a collection of lyrics and their meanings that together tell the story of a culture, an art form, a moment in history, and one of the most provocative and successful artists of our time.Praise for Decoded“Compelling . . . provocative, evocative . . . Part autobiography, part lavishly illustrated commentary on the author’s own work, Decoded gives the reader a ... Read more

Was $14.99 USD Now $12.99 USD

Decoded is a book like no other: a collection of lyrics and their meanings that together tell the story of a culture, an art form, a moment in history, and one of the most provocative and successful artists of our time.Praise for Decoded“Compelling . . . provocative, evocative . . . Part autobiography, part lavishly illustrated commentary on the author’s own work, Decoded gives the reader a
... Read more
The History of Gangster Rap

From Schoolly D to Kendrick Lamar, the Rise of a Great American Art Form

by Soren Baker ...

Journalist Soren Baker’s*The History of Gangster Rap* takes a deep dive into this fascinating music subgenre.Foreword by XzibitSixteen detailed chapters, organized chronologically, examine the evolution of gangster rap, its main players, and the culture that created this revolutionary music. From still-swirling conspiracy theories about the murders of Biggie and Tupac to the release of the film ... Read more

$13.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

Journalist Soren Baker’s*The History of Gangster Rap* takes a deep dive into this fascinating music subgenre.Foreword by XzibitSixteen detailed chapters, organized chronologically, examine the evolution of gangster rap, its main players, and the culture that created this revolutionary music. From still-swirling conspiracy theories about the murders of Biggie and Tupac to the release of the film
... Read more
Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

by Mr. Kirk Walker Graves ...

Series series 33 1/3
In the first decade of the twenty-first century, Kanye West created the most compelling body of pop music by an American artist during the period. Having risen from obscurity as a precocious producer through the ranks of Jay Z's Roc-A-Fella records, by the time he released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (MBDTF) in late 2010, West had evolved into a master collagist, an alchemist capable of ... Read more

$12.99 USD

In the first decade of the twenty-first century, Kanye West created the most compelling body of pop music by an American artist during the period. Having risen from obscurity as a precocious producer through the ranks of Jay Z's Roc-A-Fella records, by the time he released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (MBDTF) in late 2010, West had evolved into a master collagist, an alchemist capable of
... Read more
A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop

How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be

by Mickey Hess ...

Born in rural Kentucky, Mickey Hess grew up listening to the militant rap of Public Enemy while living in a place where the state song still included the word “darkies.” Listening to hip-hop made Hess think about what it meant to be white, while the environment in small-town Kentucky encouraged him to avoid or even mock such self-examination.With America’s history of cultural appropriation, we’ve ... Read more

$12.99 USD

Born in rural Kentucky, Mickey Hess grew up listening to the militant rap of Public Enemy while living in a place where the state song still included the word “darkies.” Listening to hip-hop made Hess think about what it meant to be white, while the environment in small-town Kentucky encouraged him to avoid or even mock such self-examination.With America’s history of cultural appropriation, we’ve
... Read more
Formula 50

A 6-Week Workout and Nutrition Plan That Will Transform Your Life

by Jeff O'Connell, 50 Cent ...

Get fit like 50 Cent: The phenomenally fit superstar rapper reveals his strategic six-week workout plan for achieving a ripped body—and developing the mental toughness to stay in shape for a lifetime.Survival is a recurring theme of 50 Cent’s lyrics, and his life. That’s why, with obesity rates soaring and fitness levels declining, he wants to give everyone an all-access pass to his premium plan ... Read more

$11.99 USD

Get fit like 50 Cent: The phenomenally fit superstar rapper reveals his strategic six-week workout plan for achieving a ripped body—and developing the mental toughness to stay in shape for a lifetime.Survival is a recurring theme of 50 Cent’s lyrics, and his life. That’s why, with obesity rates soaring and fitness levels declining, he wants to give everyone an all-access pass to his premium plan
... Read more
Juggalo Country

Inside the World of Insane Clown Posse and America's Weirdest Music Scene

by Craven Rock ...

WHOOP! WHOOP! The Insane Clown Posse calls itself "the most hated band in the world," but with 11 million albums sold, the horrorcore hip hop duo from Detroit is a widespread music phenomenon with a cult following. This book is the story of Craven Rock's journey to their annual festival, the Gathering of the Juggalos, where legions of fans in clown makeup come together every year to attend this ... Read more

$9.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

WHOOP! WHOOP! The Insane Clown Posse calls itself "the most hated band in the world," but with 11 million albums sold, the horrorcore hip hop duo from Detroit is a widespread music phenomenon with a cult following. This book is the story of Craven Rock's journey to their annual festival, the Gathering of the Juggalos, where legions of fans in clown makeup come together every year to attend this
... Read more
Music Production Tips, Tricks, and Secrets: for all Producers, Musicians, Beat Makers, Songwriters, and Media Composers

by L. J. Howard, Tommy Gordon ...

Here's a collection of tips, tricks, and secrets for music production covering everything from your skills, productivity, inspiration, and gear. This is the first book in a new series of titles related to music production, mixing and mastering, digital audio workstations (DAWs), sample libraries, stock and third-party plugins, and getting to the process of how to make pro-sounding music, and more. ... Read more

$6.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

Here's a collection of tips, tricks, and secrets for music production covering everything from your skills, productivity, inspiration, and gear. This is the first book in a new series of titles related to music production, mixing and mastering, digital audio workstations (DAWs), sample libraries, stock and third-party plugins, and getting to the process of how to make pro-sounding music, and more.
... Read more
Changes

An Oral History of Tupac Shakur

by Sheldon Pearce ...

A New Yorker writer’s intimate, revealing account of Tupac Shakur’s life and legacy, timed to the fiftieth anniversary of his birth and twenty-fifth anniversary of his death.In the summer of 2020, Tupac Shakur’s single “Changes” became an anthem for the worldwide protests against the murder of George Floyd. The song became so popular, in fact, it was vaulted back onto the iTunes charts more than ... Read more

$13.99 USD

A New Yorker writer’s intimate, revealing account of Tupac Shakur’s life and legacy, timed to the fiftieth anniversary of his birth and twenty-fifth anniversary of his death.In the summer of 2020, Tupac Shakur’s single “Changes” became an anthem for the worldwide protests against the murder of George Floyd. The song became so popular, in fact, it was vaulted back onto the iTunes charts more than
... Read more
Sweat the Technique

Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius

by Rakim ...

On the heels of Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize, as the world begins to recognize the creative side of Hip-Hop, comes a writing guide from a musician and "The greatest MC of all time," Rakim.The musician and Hip Hop legend—hailed as “the greatest MC of all time” and compared to Thelonious Monk—reimagines the writing handbook in this memoir and guide that incorporates the soulful genius, confidence ... Read more

$11.99 USD

On the heels of Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize, as the world begins to recognize the creative side of Hip-Hop, comes a writing guide from a musician and "The greatest MC of all time," Rakim.The musician and Hip Hop legend—hailed as “the greatest MC of all time” and compared to Thelonious Monk—reimagines the writing handbook in this memoir and guide that incorporates the soulful genius, confidence
... Read more
The Big Payback

The History of the Business of Hip-Hop

by Dan Charnas ...

**“There has never been a better book about hip-hop…a record-biz portrait that jumps off the page.”—A.V. ClubThe perfect read for music lovers and business aficionados alike, The Big Payback reveals the secret histories of the early long-shot successes of Sugar Hill Records and Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC’s crossover breakthrough on MTV, the marketing of gangsta rap, and the rise of artist ... Read more

$11.99 USD

**“There has never been a better book about hip-hop…a record-biz portrait that jumps off the page.”—A.V. ClubThe perfect read for music lovers and business aficionados alike, The Big Payback reveals the secret histories of the early long-shot successes of Sugar Hill Records and Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC’s crossover breakthrough on MTV, the marketing of gangsta rap, and the rise of artist
... Read more
Queens Reigns Supreme

Fat Cat, 50 Cent, and the Rise of the Hip Hop Hustler

by Ethan Brown ...

Based on police wiretaps and exclusive interviews with drug kingpins and hip-hop insiders, this is the untold story of how the streets and housing projects of southeast Queens took over the rap industry.For years, rappers from Nas to Ja Rule have hero-worshipped the legendary drug dealers who dominated Queens in the 1980s with their violent crimes and flashy lifestyles. Now, for the first time ... Read more

Was $6.99 USD Now $5.99 USD

Based on police wiretaps and exclusive interviews with drug kingpins and hip-hop insiders, this is the untold story of how the streets and housing projects of southeast Queens took over the rap industry.For years, rappers from Nas to Ja Rule have hero-worshipped the legendary drug dealers who dominated Queens in the 1980s with their violent crimes and flashy lifestyles. Now, for the first time
... Read more
Black, Blanc, Beur

Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture in the Francophone World

Edited by Alain-Philippe Durand ...

Rap music was born in America in the early 1980s. Over the last decade it has not only grown in popularity within the United States, with rap music soaring to the top of the music charts, but it has also influenced other cultures around the world. Black, Blanc, Beur is about the emergence and growing notoriety of rap music and hip-hop culture in the French-speaking world (France, Quebec, and ... Read more

$46.99 USD

Rap music was born in America in the early 1980s. Over the last decade it has not only grown in popularity within the United States, with rap music soaring to the top of the music charts, but it has also influenced other cultures around the world. Black, Blanc, Beur is about the emergence and growing notoriety of rap music and hip-hop culture in the French-speaking world (France, Quebec, and
... Read more
Can't Stop Won't Stop

A History of the Hip-Hop Generation

by Jeff Chang ...

Can't Stop Won't Stop is a powerful cultural and social history of the end of the American century, and a provocative look into the new world that the hip-hop generation created.Forged in the fires of the Bronx and Kingston, Jamaica, hip-hop became the Esperanto of youth rebellion and a generation-defining movement. In a post-civil rights era defined by deindustrialization and globalization, hip ... Read more

$12.99 USD

Can't Stop Won't Stop is a powerful cultural and social history of the end of the American century, and a provocative look into the new world that the hip-hop generation created.Forged in the fires of the Bronx and Kingston, Jamaica, hip-hop became the Esperanto of youth rebellion and a generation-defining movement. In a post-civil rights era defined by deindustrialization and globalization, hip
... Read more
Hiding in Hip Hop

On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry--from Music to Hollywood

by Terrance Dean ...

“If you’re a fan of the hit show Empire and its characters Cookie, Lucious, Hakeem, Jamal, and Andre, then you have to check out Terrance Dean’s provocative memoir Hiding in Hip Hop. Dean writes a compelling story about black gay men in Hip Hop and Hollywood, and what it takes for them to make it the entertainment industry.” – JL King, New York Times bestselling author of On The Down LowCelebrated ... Read more

$14.99 USD

“If you’re a fan of the hit show Empire and its characters Cookie, Lucious, Hakeem, Jamal, and Andre, then you have to check out Terrance Dean’s provocative memoir Hiding in Hip Hop. Dean writes a compelling story about black gay men in Hip Hop and Hollywood, and what it takes for them to make it the entertainment industry.” – JL King, New York Times bestselling author of On The Down LowCelebrated
... Read more
Meet Me in the Bathroom

Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011

by Lizzy Goodman ...

Named a Best Book of 2017 by NPR and GQJoining the ranks of the classics Please Kill Me, Our Band Could Be Your Life, and Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, an intriguing oral history of the post-9/11 decline of the old-guard music industry and rebirth of the New York rock scene, led by a group of iconoclastic rock bands.In the second half of the twentieth-century New York was the source of new sounds, ... Read more

$10.49 USD

Named a Best Book of 2017 by NPR and GQJoining the ranks of the classics Please Kill Me, Our Band Could Be Your Life, and Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, an intriguing oral history of the post-9/11 decline of the old-guard music industry and rebirth of the New York rock scene, led by a group of iconoclastic rock bands.In the second half of the twentieth-century New York was the source of new sounds,
... Read more
The Tao of Wu

by The RZA ...

From the founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, an inspirational book for the hip-hop fan.The RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the lessons he’s learned on his journey from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom. A devout student of knowledge in every form in which he’s found it, he distills here the wisdom he’s acquired into seven “pillars,” each based on a formative event in his ... Read more

$8.99 USD

From the founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, an inspirational book for the hip-hop fan.The RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the lessons he’s learned on his journey from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom. A devout student of knowledge in every form in which he’s found it, he distills here the wisdom he’s acquired into seven “pillars,” each based on a formative event in his
... Read more
Eternamente

by Pablo Pérez Rueda ...

Pablo Pérez, más conocido como «Blon», sorprende ahora con su primer poemario, en el que se constata su amor a la palabra con su talento para moldearla.Mi intención no es cambiar el mundo, es que me dejes construir una pequeña parte del tuyo cuando entres por las puertas de mi vida. Yo te regalo el lápiz y una hoja en blanco para que hagas lo mismo con el mío.Lo que creemos juntos no durará ... Read more

$9.99 USD

Pablo Pérez, más conocido como «Blon», sorprende ahora con su primer poemario, en el que se constata su amor a la palabra con su talento para moldearla.Mi intención no es cambiar el mundo, es que me dejes construir una pequeña parte del tuyo cuando entres por las puertas de mi vida. Yo te regalo el lápiz y una hoja en blanco para que hagas lo mismo con el mío.Lo que creemos juntos no durará
... Read more

eReaders

Apps

Accessories

Shopping Cart

You're getting the VIP treatment!

Your Shopping Cart is empty

Available:

1 audiobook monthly

+ FREE 30-day trial

Available:

1 audiobook monthly

+ FREE 30-day trial

Recommended For You

Rap eBooks

Show: