Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2018. He's taken what's always felt like an almost impossibly knotted string of storylines and plot points in gangsta rap, the most turbulent version of the most popular music on the planet, and turned them into an airtight and unflinching book. Leigh Savidge, Academy Award nominee and co-writer of Straight Outta Compton "A provocative, multifaceted portrait of essential rap pioneers who ushered the hip-hop music scene to greatness.... As raw, authoritative, and unflinching as the music his narrative chronicles, Westhoff comprehensively uncovers the factual roots of the gangsta rap movement and admirably credits those whose footprints paved the way for the younger rappers emerging today.... An elaborately detailed, darkly surprising, definitive history of the LA gangsta rap era. Tupac, Biggie, Eminem, Snoop, and others are all here.
This book was eye-opening.
Whether hip hop will eventually loom the largest in historical memory depends on how exactly the demographics of musica. Every time Ben Westhoff mentioned an artist or a specific song I had to hit up YouTube. On the heels of the hit movie Straight Outta Compton comes this awesome new book, filled with new details, such as Easy-E's hustling days, and Ice Cube's relationship with the Nation of Islam and Jewish Defense League. It read like a can't-put-down-until-I'm-done book, but with the research of a PhD dissertation. Because Ben is so competent a writer, Original Gangstas will be interesting not just to Hip Hop fans, but also to any readers who love history.
I know exactly where I was when Tupac was killed, when Biggie was killed, when Ice Cube left NWA, when Snoop was arrested for murder, when Eazy-E died. He has access to a lot of material and people and provides myriad points of view. Original Gangstas by Ben Westhoff is raw, entertaining, fun & unflinching at the same time. Fantastic read. With N.W.A serving as the centerpiece of the book, Westhoff gets the reader in close with Dre, Easy-E, Ice Cube, MC Wren, & DJ Yella, as well as all those that they collaborated with, mentored, influenced, and took aim at. "Rolling Stone"Original Gangstas is as real as it gets if you want to know the so-called 'gangsta rap' scene. A true masterpiece!
He now speaks around the country about the fentanyl crisis, and has advised top government officials on the problem, including from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and the U.S. State Department. The book goes into depth about many stories I'd only previously heard via the streets. Please try again. A Must for Hip Hop fans of the Golden Era.
", “Original Gangstas is as real as it gets if you want to know the so-called ‘gangsta rap’ scene. In the times we live in "Re. I was feeling so nostalgic by the time I finished reading that I was wishing for a second go around, to go back to when I heard these artists for the first time. Very well written and researched.
So many knots and loose ends unraveled and tied up, in what is probably one of the most politically charged and complex times in rap music. As someone quiet well versed on this genre of music particularly this era, I can see this was an excellent piece of journalism. Ben Westhoff refrains from using rumors and innuendos, and instead reports the facts, and he tells all sides of this music movement. At the same time, Westhoff is a dispassionate observer who reports without injecting any obvious bias into the longstanding debates, disagreements, and mythology surrounding the events that led to this category of music. The book goes into depth about many stories I'd only previously heard via the streets. As A. Ben Westhoff’s look at the origins of gangsta rap says it all in the title: originals, creatives, visionaries, who were also criminals or dabbled in criminality. Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? "Original Gangstas" describes the origin of west coast rap and how N.W.A. The author concludes with reminders of rap music’s cultural and anti-oppressive benefits—though its legacy of thuggery and violence resulted in the homicides of the Notorious B.I.G. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. This book is well researched and engaging. His writing style is so matter of fact at times that you don't realize how raw the material is.
I now wish this could be used as a blueprint for a Netflix Series.
In May 1947 a sixteen-year-old Jewish activist named Alexander Rubowitz was abducted in broad daylight However, I felt, along with a few others on Goodreads, that the book at times fell flat and read almost like a Wikipedia page. Brilliant , insightful and an honest representation of how west coast rap started and very informative when it comes to the oppression young black men faced in the 80's and 90's in america. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Lots of myths debunked, lots of fun - cited - backstories explained that I didn't previously know existed. Mr. Westhoff's latest installment of hip-hop lore, Ben tackles the behemotic tangled mess that is the origins of rap culture in the West. Get free access to the library by create an account, fast download and ads free. There's a lot of conflicting information out there, but the way it is told in this book appears to be the most factual account available. Fantastic read. Helping the reader understand how truly impactful the music they created was to a time where drugs flowed through the streets and young adul. Original Gangstas is as resolute as the people and ideas it sets out to profile, and that is no small feat.
in the ghetto; Gunboat Smith on the Jack Johnson era; Jack Dempsey on the Willard fight and the Tunney ”long count”; Rocky Graziano on showbiz; ... Born in 1903, pianist Ervin Nyiregyházi was the subject of the first book devoted to ... Born in 1903, pianist Ervin Nyiregyházi was the subject of the first book devoted to Download full Original Gangstas books PDF, EPUB, Tuebl, Textbook, Mobi or read online Original Gangstas anytime and anywhere on any device. "[Original Gangstas] delves deeply into the history of hip-hop on the West Coast, meticulously unearthing layer after layer of the true story not covered in other books or movies... An informative page-turner that sheds an unbiased light on the … A must read for any fan of West Coast hip hop or even just hip hop in general. Amazon.com: Original Gangstas: Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and the Birth of West Coast Rap (9780316344852): Westhoff, Ben: Books Does this book contain quality or formatting issues? Informative, well researched and very interesting!
Time. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. A must read for fans of rap and for fans of music in general. This is a tightly written and well-researched history of a pivotal era of hip-hop history. Clearly, Ben Westhoff did his research going very in depth on the origins of N.W.A and Tupac describing not only their early life before the fame but also on the world around them at the time. There was emphasis on their legacies. A must-read for fans of rap. It's so informative and well written; it gives you that fly on the wall feeling. all of the women Dr. Dre allegedly hit, DOC and all the other ghostwriters, etc). "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"[Adds] fresh detail to the oft-told stories ...[A] history that won't settle for easy heroes or villains. If you’re a fan of west coast hip hop this is the book to read to learn more about the groups & artists that made the sound & scene what it was. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Westhoff is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in the Library of Congress, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Rolling Stone, Vice, and others. Subscribe to Westhoff's newsletter at benwesthoff.substack.com. Ben Westhoff refrains from using rumors and innuendos, and instead reports the facts, and he tells all sides of this music movement. it focuses on n. w. a and beyond. These problems also plagued the career of Tupac Shakur, whom Westhoff illustrates best and whom he considers “the fiercest West Coast rapper of all.” As the 1990s surged, so did the popularity of gangsta rap and the lure (and pitfalls) of an excessive, hedonistic lifestyle for its artists, who would go on to battle through the renowned East Coast–West Coast feud and many racially charged travesties of justice. His 2011 book on southern hip-hop, Dirty South: OutKast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop was a Library Journal best seller. Agent: Bassoff, Ethan, Lippincott Massie McQuilkin. Great book. Though I realize this type of writing is not for everyone I would only recommend this book for those who are very involved in the genre or interested in the history that they had left behind. Not meant to be a reflection of the book as a whole though. An in-depth, immaculately researched look at one of the most important moments in music.
Westhoff packs a lot of detail into an easy-to-read book that puts you in the center of the action.
"Shea Serrano, New York Times bestselling author of The Rap Year Book"Scrupulously researched with many incisive revelations, this may be the best book ever written about the hip hop world."S. It's to the author's credit that he doesn't flinch in providing a rounded picture of the history of the genre, in which the danger wasn't confined to the music. It also heightens the sense of loss due to the tragic deaths of two of the genre’s giants. It has received glowing reviews, was included on many year-end best lists, and Westhoff was featured on NPR's Fresh Air and Joe Rogan's podcast. "Publishers Weekly"Original Gangstas takes readers to the source, the battered communities and difficult lives that spawned an unlikely musical revolution. Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap, Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download.
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. Ben Westhoff's new book is probably the best book yet written about the history of Hip Hop music in Los Angeles. It read like a can't-put-down-until-I'm-done book, but with the research of a PhD dissertation. the scientific study of a single prodigy.
He's taken what's always felt like an almost impossibly knotted string of storylines and plot points in gangsta rap, the most turbulent version of the most popular music on the planet, and turned them into an airtight and unflinching book. "Chicago Reader "The book offers plenty of pleasures and surprises, giving an authoritative investigation of the familiar rivalries and controversies of gangsta rap, but also intimate scenes of intensely bright, sharp-witted young artists figuring out their form.... Westhoff constructs a political backdrop that highlights the importance of rap as an American art form... [A] highly readable and important history."St. I started listening to NWA when I was 11 way back in the 80s, fascinated by the lyrics and the gangsta lifestyle it remained my music of choice until the last 8-9 years when it all went BAD.
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