With ongoing debates on Scottish independence, immigration, Britain's place in the EU, multiculturalism, national identity and the specter of a past Empire complicating ethnically-defined notions of "Britishness," the Kingdom seems far from United. As a cultural force that is often discussed as giving voice to the voiceless and empowering marginalized communities, hip-hop has become a space in which to explore and debate these issues-defining global community while celebrating locality.
In
Brithop, author Justin A. Williams finds new hope in an often-neglected figure: the British rapper. Through themes of nationalism, history, subculture, politics, humor and identity, Brithop explores multiple forms of politics in rap discourses from Wales, Scotland and England. Featuring rappers and groups such as The Streets, Goldie Lookin Chain, Akala, Lowkey, Stanley Odd, Loki, Speech Debelle, Lady Sovereign, Shadia Mansour, Shay D, Stormzy, Sleaford Mods, Riz MC and Lethal Bizzle, Williams investigates how rappers in the UK respond to the "postcolonial melancholia" of post-Empire Britain.
Brithop shows a rich, multifaceted cultural reality reflective of both the postcolonial condition of the UK and the importance of localism within its varying cultures.
Industry Reviews
"Williams's study is thorough and insightful and serves as a good example for ethnomusicologists of critical interdisciplinary textual analysis" -- Simon Gall, Ethnomusicology Forum
"This book is recommended for libraries with extensive rap/hip-hop collections or collections on contemporary British history." -- B. D. Singleton, California State University--San Bernardino, Choice Connect
"Williams's study is thorough and insightful and serves as a good example for ethnomusicologists of critical interdisciplinary textual analysis. He draws attention to and amplifies the voices of a critical cohort of rappers working in a vibrant, undervalued (at least by scholars) artform, giving them the academic attention that the rap scene(s) deserves." -- Simon Gall, Ethnomusicology Forum
"Brithop decodes a multicultural cypher of rap voices from around the UK in an insightful, engaging, and provocative exploration of rap lyricism and political commentary. Justin A. Williams simultaneously celebrates and presents astute analysis of a diverse range of artists as they represent, challenge, chronicle, and navigate contemporary Britain. This is a hugely important step in the process of legitimising and recognising rap music's cultural,
social, and intellectual worth." -- Solareye, Stanley Odd/Dr, Dave Hook, Edinburgh Napier University
"A brilliant and comprehensive analysis of one of the key developments in British music during the last 30 years. Williams knows his stuff DL and how to analyse it. This book is set to become a standard text." -- Professor Martin Cloonan, Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, Finland
"Justin A. Williams' BRITHOP is a literal tour de force,Âtaking readers on a journey through twenty-first century UK rap and helping them hear how British emcees use beats and rhymes to make their voices heard. With a keen ear for accents, poetic allusions, and political commentary, Williams explores a wide range of artists through the lenses of not only race, gender, and ethnicity, but also class, region, and nationality. By
highlighting the vibrancy of Great Britain's multicultural popular music, BRITHOP puts two fingers up to Brexit-era nationalism and refutes narrow conceptions of citizenship and belonging. This is a must-read for anyone interested in
understanding contemporary British society as well as hip-hop outside of the United States." -- Loren Kajikawa, author of Sounding Race in Rap Songs
