Hip Hop Family Tree Book 4: 1984-1985: 11/21/16

Hip Hop Family Tree Book 4: 1984-1985 by Ed Piskor brings the history of hip hop into the era where even I, living in white suburban San Diego, had begun hearing about the genre of music. Mind you, it was already about 15 years old, but to us it was new, revolutionary, and ofttimes scary.

It was also the time that California was becoming a producer of hip hop, another reason why it was no long off the radar. This was the year that Will Smith (aka Fresh Prince), Salt-N-Pepa, and the Beastie Boys all became celebrities.

The first two volumes were more of an education for me. Now by volume 4, I'm reading almost strictly for fun. I've come to realize that in general, I like hip hop. I like the sampling. I like the humor. I like the rap battles.

As with each of these volumes, Piskor's enthusiasm for the subject rubs off. I always end up buying something covered in the book. This time it was a copy of the film Beat Street.

Five stars

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