What Is Hip-Hop?

"In the beginning, there was a beat . . . " So begins the story of one of the most revolutionary pop culture movements of the twentieth century: hip-hop. A playful guided tour through a cultural phenomenon, What Is Hip-Hop? begins with block parties in the Bronx and brings the reader up to the present day, narrated in rhyming verse and illustrated with engaging 3-D clay models. It's a fun, friendly, and informative read for B-boys and B-girls of all ages.

In the follow-up to their acclaimed and beloved hit What Is Punk? , author Eric Morse and artist Anny Yi reunite to celebrate the music that changed their lives and the voices that achieved iconic status along the way. See Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Salt-N-Pepa, Biggie and Tupac, Eminem, and even Nicki Minaj and Kendrick Lamar, as you've never seen them!

About the Author

Eric Morse is a writer and father of four living outside of New York City. He was the founder and editor of Trampoline House online magazine, and a music industry marketing executive. When he's not listening to old hip-hop records, he's listening to new hip-hop MP3s. Eric is also the author of What Is Punk?

About the Illustrator

Anny Yi is an artist from Los Angeles, California. She makes clay-art dioramas and stop-motion films inspired by fashion and music. Anny Yi is the illustrator of What Is Punk? and What Is Hip-Hop?

Nelson George ("producer" of this book) is an author, filmmaker, and life-long resident of Brooklyn, New York. His novels include The Accidental Hunter, The Plot Against Hip Hop, The Lost Treasures of R&B, and the forthcoming To Funk and Die in LA (all part of the D Hunter series). Among his many nonfiction works are The Death of Rhythm & Blues, Hip Hop America, and The Hippest Trip in America: Soul Train and the Evolution of Culture & Style.

As a filmmaker he's directed the documentaries A Ballerina's Tale, starring Misty Copeland, Brooklyn Boheme for Revolt, The Announcement for ESPN, and Finding the Funk for VH1, and serves as supervising producer for Baz Luhrmann's Netflix series The Get Down.