Say It Loud

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-Rap music has undeniably become part of mainstream American culture, although it continues to be shadowed by controversy. In this detailed account, Jones presents a historical perspective on this art form and traces its origins back to the oratory tradition of the griots of West African societies. He carefully shows how this ancestral style was brought to the Americas with the slave trade; how it developed and evolved within the African-American culture; and how rap became a natural outgrowth of this background. Many different groups, including those whose "messages" have angered the establishment, are examined. Quotes and the use of lyrics (fully documented) by a variety of rappers and other recording artists effectively enhance and expand the discussion. Black-and-white and full-color photographs and reproductions add to the book's appeal. This thorough presentation gives a more complete picture than Keith Elliot Greenberg's Rap (Lerner, 1988), and its historical examination is clearer than that in Havelock Nelson and Michael Gonzales's Bring the Noise (Harmony, 199l). A worthwhile addition.
Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.