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Know What I Mean? Reflections on Hip-Hop |  | Author: Michael Eric Dyson
Creators: Jay-Z, Nas
Publisher: Basic Civitas Books
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
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Seller: goodwillnyonline
Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 506898
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 208
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.9
ISBN: 0465017169
Dewey Decimal Number: 782.42164909
EAN: 9780465017164
ASIN: 0465017169
Publication Date: July 2, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
America's foremost "hip-hop intellectual" and acclaimed biographer of Marvin Gaye and Tupac Shakur weighs in on the past, present, and future of hip-hop music. Whether along race, class or generational lines, hip-hop music has been a source of controversy since the beats got too big and the voices too loud for the block parties that spawned them. America has condemned and commended this music and the culture that inspires it. Dubbed "the Hip-Hop Intellectual" by critics and fans for his pioneering explorations of rap music in the academy and beyond, Michael Eric Dyson is uniquely situated to probe the most compelling and controversial dimensions of hip-hop culture. Know What I Mean? addresses salient issues within hip hop: the creative expression of degraded youth that has garnered them global exposure; the vexed gender relations that have made rap music a lightning rod for pundits; the commercial explosion that has made an art form a victim of its success; the political elements that have been submerged in the most popular form of hip hop; and the intellectual engagement with some of hip hop's most influential figures. In spite of changing trends, both in the music industry and among the intelligentsia, Dyson has always supported and interpreted this art that bloomed unwatered, and in many cases, unwanted from our inner cities. For those who wondered what all the fuss is about in hip hop, Dyson's bracing and brilliant book breaks it all down.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 9
 Forced to read this book for school May 18, 2009
E. Griswold (Maryland)
3 out of 11 found this review helpful
This book attempts to legitimize rap by having a scholarly racist (one who makes decisions based on nothing other than race) mumble his illegitimate arguments. Here are the cliff notes on chapter 1:
"our rhymes can contain violence and hatred"
"our songs can detail the drug business and our choruses can bounce with lustful intent"
(paraphrase)->"thisauthor with another viewpoint wrote a less-than-thousand-word article so his point is automatically wrong"
"I think very few people are willing to acknowledge the genius of our black children"
"as a black male, society throws you few other options [than to go to prison]"
"one of the most effective tools of social control under white supremacy is the psychological destruction of the image of the black male..."
"the unfair imprisonment of black men and women [is tragic because] ... the truth [is] that a lot of them are going there for no good reason"
"Black men want to dominate women according to their own sexual desire"
"[Black machismo] is not the result of lyrics"
"This stuff didn't start with hip hop"
"[story about pimps and hos]"
"I think technology imposes brutal confines and blunt restrictions on black life"
"the ghetto becomes a global vetting space for the successful dissemination of products from the American marketplace"
"Blackness has become a metaphorical home for people who are seeking self-definition"
"Because that's where we're from! Black people come from space. When you look at the sky, it's black. Without sunlight, forget it: it's black. In the beginning, there was darkness"
"The universe is our home because the universe's sense of home is connected to its blackness, and therefor to our blackness"
As an educated individual who does not believe in generalizing based on race, this book angers me. Race, race, race, white supremacist nation, blacks used to be slaves, race this, race that. Enough! This book is quick to accept responsibility for all the good that has come from hip-hop but deflects the blame to others, usually whites, for all of its negative impacts on American culture. This is an elementary tactic. I plan to recycle my book so that these pages get at least one chance to contain worthwhile information. Just remember, what I say does not matter--it is less than 1,000 words.
An Important Book October 14, 2008
Debbie Strickland
Dyson is a great writer. He tackles issues that most writers often shy away from. He does a great job at diving into a difficult subject and shows the importance of it to the African American culture.
 Hard to put down.... Preach on Dyson!! March 11, 2008
Justin Russell (Malton, ON CAN)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'll be the first to tell you that Hip Hop has changed dramatically over the years. With the influx of commericalization the art form seems to have lost its originality. Dyson's represents Hip Hop to the fullest. He embraces the art form and respects the artists as lyrical geniuses. Dyson gives a brief look back with DJ Kool Herc, but remains focused on the social aspects of the music. Dyson brings up logical arguements that are in the defense of Hip Hop music.
My favourite section was the chapter dealing with "Conscious Rap". This sub-genre of Hip Hop is never praised in the media since it approaches topics that are both social and political.
Dyson is extremely candid with his assessments of music and he has many accolades from numerous artists in the Hip Hop Industry.
Consider reading "Democracy Matters" by Cornel West --- he has a great section on Hip Hop music as well
Understanding A Portion of the Younger Black Culture. February 5, 2008
Cory J. May (Asbury Seminary)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I truly enjoyed this cultural and generational work by Dr. Dyson. Similar to most of Dyson's books I found it hard to put down, always wanting to know more of his thoughts. There are areas in Dyson's thinking that I disagree with, but it always challenges me to provide a solid, realistic and comprehensible reason for my beliefs. I believe this book points a finger at the generational gap we have in the black community. The older generation needs to have a loving relationship with the younger generation and vice versa, only then can healing, teaching and correcting fix some of the problems within our culture. There are already outside forces that seek to divide us, we shouldn't ignorantly help those forces by causing internal division fueled by ego, hypocrisy and greed.
Ground breaking text October 31, 2007
Bruce Smith (Tucson, AZ USA)
Dyson is certainly one of the most prolific cultural critics writing and speaking about matters relevant to race, identity, and equality. His work is generally deep as he tries to complicate matters that are usually oversimplified by the dominant discourse and mainstream media.
Know What I Mean is a detailed and academically vigorous critique of the social construction and political power of hip hop. He attempts to place hip hop in its proper context, demystifying the ways hip hop reflects the social spaces occupied by hip hop artists and the larger society itself. Let's not forget, for example, that misogyny is not the sole property of hip hop.
Reading as hip hop performance itself, the text breaks many of the conventions that bind books, delving into space reserved for the album/music industry. On many levels, Know What I Mean is a risk-taking and ground-breaking work that attempts to reach many different audiences, from hip hop heads to academics in ivory towers.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 9
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