In a post-civil rights era defined by deindustrialization and globalization, hip-hop crystallized a multiracial, polycultural generation's worldview, and transformed American politics and culture. But that epic story has never been told with this kind of breadth, insight, and style.Based on original interviews with DJs, b-boys, rappers, graffiti writers, activists, and gang members, with unforgettable portraits of many of hip-hop's forebears, founders, and mavericks, including DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Chuck D, and Ice Cube, Can't Stop Won't Stop chronicles the events, the ideas, the music, and the art that marked the hip-hop generation's rise from the ashes of the 60's into the new millennium.

    Through Vincent Fedorchak's hilarious deadpan narration of a wild existence wrought with adolescent braggadocio, we are taken on a rough journey through a deteriorating Bronx jungle-wonderland where property value was plummeting and kids ruled the streets. Whether executing a bizarre graffiti mission in another borough with all the insanity of a special ops soldier, fearlessly tracking down Satan-worshippers camped out in the old castles in Van Cortlandt Park, or being the first white boy inducted into the infamous Ebony Dukes street gang, Fedorchak never flinches. Filled with hundreds of never-before-published photos of graffiti art and Bronx cityscapes, as well as first-hand accounts of the exploits of legendary graffiti artists such as DONDI, BLADE, COMET, NOC 167, BOOTS 119, and others, Fuzz One is a guided tour of a heretofore uncharted Bronx underworld. This epic tale of youth gone awry fully captures an important era of cultural upheaval in New York City's history. It is set apart from other memoirs via the inclusion of more than 300 images, nearly all in color, that give the volume strong historical, anthropological and cultural appeal.

    Never before has a book been written about Hip Hop through the spiritual scope of the culture, or has examined the culture from a mystical perspective. The Black Dot cleverly accomplishes both, while providing plenty of fuel for conspiracy theorist. Hip Hop Decoded reveals that Hip Hop is far deeper than just beats and rhymes, and masterfully illustrates that each element of Hip Hop (Graffiti, DJ, Emcee, and B-Boy) has an ancient origin (hieroglyphics, drummer, oracle, and dancer), as well as spiritual significance (earth, air, fire, and water). Knowledge is the fifth and most sacred element of Hip Hop, however, the most misunderstood. The Black Dot has compiled the most comprehensive study of the subject in book form. Hip Hop Decoded is the red pill for those looking to escape from the Matrix of Hip Hop, and begin the journey to uncover the truth about the culture. There have been many books written about Hip Hop from a political, social, economical, and even cultural perspective, but not many have uncovered the spiritual essence of Hip Hop. The Black Dot challenges the Hip Hop faithful to delve deep within its core to explore the most sacred aspect of the art form, and exposes the Matrix put in place to counter and destroy this spiritual energy. The foreword to the book was written by Legend, and Live Rhyme Master, Grandmaster Caz, and the illustrations were drawn by the legendary Graffiti Writer, James Top. This promises to be the first of many books to come from The Black Dot that will continue to explore the deeper, darker, mystical side of Hip Hop.

    “Rakim Told Me” brings you these invisible liner notes, one album at a time, with new angles and engaging stories. 21 albums are examined in-depth, and facts are uncovered with the turn of every page. Journalist Brian Coleman has, over the past decade, immersed himself in and written about the hip-hop art form as a columnist for national magazines like XXL, Scratch, CMJ and URB. In this volume, The ‘80s, he digs deep, one-on one, with legendary artists like Rakim, De La Soul, Ice-T, Public Enemy, KRS-One, Run-DMC, Slick Rick, Too $hort and many more. “Rakim Told Me” lets you dive head first into the world of your favorite hip-hop artists and the classic albums they produced. These are pure wax facts straight from the original artists, broughtto the surface again after years of invisibility. So dig out your turntable, clean off your Zulu Nation medallion, crack open a chapter, and relive hip-hop’s most creative and captivating era.

    A handsome book that includes a 30 plus minute CD and new art by the artist Tony Fitzpatrick.

    James W. Perkinson explores the idea that American identity and history are profoundly informed by an on-going interweaving of white entitlement and black disenfranchisement that constrains other forms of cultural struggle.

    Insider to mainstream. Black to white. How did "Bling Bling" move from one world to the other, seemingly overnight? Matthew Vescovo, master of the obvious and creator of Instructoart Lesson 1, hilariously connects the dots and takes us full circle from the raw underground rap origins of the phrase "Bling Bling," to its ultimate demise in the hands of unhip, suburban, housewives. This story of innovation, proliferation, regurgitation, commercialization, and bastardization, is based on Vescovo's highly popular animated short for MTV. Appropriately written in verse, it illustrates a common theme in contemporary culture--that of black culture carving out ownership of something exclusively its own . . . and other groups copying and abusing that thing until it has lost its originality. With sharp humor and wit, amusing comic-style illustrations, and an historical truth that resonates with its audience as it probes deeper issues, this book performs an autopsy on the term "Bling Bling," and then memorializes its death to the world.