Raising Kanye

Raising Kanye
Author: Donda West
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 267
Release: 2007-05-08
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1416556648

The mother of rap superstar Kanye West shares her experiences on being a single mother raising a celebrity. As the mother of hip-hop superstar Kanye West, Donda West has watched her son grow from a brilliant baby boy with all the intimations of fame and fortune to one of the hottest rappers on the music scene. And she has every right to be proud: she raised her son with strong moral values, teaching him right from wrong and helping him become the man he is today. In Raising Kanye, Donda not only pays homage to her famous son but reflects on all the things she learned about being his mother along the way. Featuring never-before-seen photos and compelling personal anecdotes, Donda's powerful and inspiring memoir reveals everything from the difficulties she faced as a single mother in the African American community to her later experiences as Kanye's manager as he rose to superstardom. Speaking frankly about her son's reputation as a "Mama's Boy," and his memorable public outbursts about gay rights and President George W. Bush, Donda supports her son without exception, and here she shares the invaluable wisdom she has taken away from each experience—passion, tolerance, patience, and above all, always telling the truth. Ultimately, she not only expresses what her famously talented son has meant to her but what he has meant to music and an entire generation.

Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned
Author: Sunni Ali
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2020-04-30
Genre: Music
ISBN: 9780910030526

Lessons Learned: Critical Conversations in Hip Hop and Social Justice looks at the popularity and impact hip hop has on social movements. Historically, movements are spearheaded by youth. Their values are best portrayed in their music. The book provides numerous examples of how hip hop has impacted social movements. They include police brutality, incarceration, miseducation, voting, wages, guns, abortion and much more. This is an excellent books for lovers of rap and hip hop. It is ideal for those who love history and social movements.

Life Lessons from Hip-Hop

Life Lessons from Hip-Hop
Author: Grant Brydon
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 146
Release: 2022-09-06
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0744078148

Take control of your narrative and become the best version of yourself with 50 Hip-Hop inspired lessons that will motivate a new generation. Grant Brydon has interviewed some of the biggest names in hip-hop. Here he shares the creative directions and tips derived from one-on-one conversations with Pharrell Williams, J Cole, Big Sean, Nipsey Hussle, and many more. With chapters covering motivation, creativity, authenticity, mental wellbeing, resilience, and more, the advice gleaned from these important artists' life experiences will help you to face up to your own challenges and inspire you to make simple changes that have major positive consequences. Lessons include: - Award-winning rapper, singer, songwriter and producer J Cole on how to Define Success. - Grammy award-winning hip-hop- legend Nas on Maintaining Focus on What’s Important. - A lesson in Committing to Inspiration from Flo Milli, viral TikTok sensation and Best New Artist nominee at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards. - Big Sean on how to Take Time Off and Talk to Someone. - Multiple BET Hip Hop Awards nominee Action Bronson on how not to be discouraged. - Kenny Beats – producer of Vince Staples and Ed Sheeran – on the dangers of overthinking. -Grammy nominated Freddie Gibbs on Integrity. - Hip-hop royalty Pharrell Williams on the importance of always staying curious. - Mac Miller on reinvention Adopt a hip-hop mindset to take control of your own narrative and become the best version of yourself with this book of 50 must-read lessons on creativity and self help that will inspire a new generation. Containing exclusive interviews with billion-streaming artists, including J Cole, Nas, Big Sean, Flo Milli, Action Bronson and many more, alongside contemporary illustrations by Ketu the Artist, which offer a fresh visual take on the self-help genre. This is a must-have volume for fans of hip-hop, alongside individuals with an interest in positive thinking, wellness and self-help. Quotes "Grant Brydon compiles many of the major keys from some of the most prolific voices in hip-hop and draws a through-line to the hearts of their success stories... An entertaining and informative read." ― Kathy Iandoli, author of God Save The Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop "A thoughtful collection of essays on hard work and creativity that taps into generous anecdotal wisdom about music and life from an array of personalities in the industry, past and present." ― Lance Scott Walker, author of DJ Screw: A Life In Slow Revolution "A brilliant tapestry of story and artistry by a seasoned journalist whose love for hip-hop flourishes here." ― Ciesay, co-founder of PLACES+FACES

Hip-Hop Genius 2.0

Hip-Hop Genius 2.0
Author: Sam Seidel
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 245
Release: 2022-02-15
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1475864310

Many educators already know that hip-hop can be a powerful tool for engaging students. But can hip-hop save our schools—and our society? Hip-Hop Genius 2.0 introduces an iteration of hip-hop education that goes far beyond studying rap music as classroom content. Through stories about the professional rapper who founded the first hip-hop high school and the aspiring artists currently enrolled there, Sam Seidel lays out a vision for how hip-hop’s genius—the resourceful creativity and swagger that took it from a local phenomenon to a global force—can lead to a fundamental remix of the way we think of teaching, school design, and leadership. This 10-year anniversary edition welcomes two new contributing authors, Tony Simmons and Michael Lipset, who bring direct experience running the High School for Recording Arts. The new edition includes new forewords from some of the most prominent names in education and hip-hop, reflections on ten more years of running a hip-hop high school, updates to every chapter from the first edition, details of how the school navigated the unprecedented complexities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and uprising in response to the murder of George Floyd, and an inspiring new concluding chapter that is a call to action for the field.

How It All Got Started

How It All Got Started
Author: Ramses M
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2014-11-29
Genre:
ISBN: 9781505265590

Described as the 'Hip Hop Entrepreneur's Bible,' How It All Got Started is a book like no other. A journey through the lives and lyrics of dozens of people who have used Hip Hop as a vehicle to achieve remarkable things, this book tells the story of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and artist, from a rather unique point of view. The book holds twenty-three universally applicable life philosophies, gathered from dozens of Hip Hop artists, executives and entrepreneurs. Including: * How Kanye developed his 'God-like' self-belief and why it's fundamental to his success. * Keys to longevity and how Dr. Dre has remained at the forefront of Hip Hop for thirty years. * Where Jay Z, and dozens of other successful 'hustlers' draw the line over what's acceptable and what is not. * Why most Hip Hop icons choose to have long-term intimate relationships with one person. * The 'secret' of creative genius, and how Pharrell, Grandmaster Flash and others earn millions using it. * The one thing Diddy as an intern, Drake as a rapper and Dame Dash as a CEO, all did to break into their industry. * The power of 'celebrity' and how Eminem, Snoop and Hopsin know how to solve the problem of getting noticed. 'How It All Got Started' also features the in-depth biographies of Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z and Eminem. Read in extensive detail the remarkable stories of how four seemingly unlikely people rose to their position at the helm of popular culture. This book is made especially for entrepreneurs and artists, aspiring and established, who are inspired by Hip Hop icons and aspire to emulate their success. "You love to hear the story, How It All Got Started" - Nas, Back When

Life Lessons from Hip-Hop

Life Lessons from Hip-Hop
Author: Grant Brydon
Publisher:
Total Pages: 144
Release: 2022-09
Genre:
ISBN: 9780241567081

Adopt a hip-hop mindset to take control of your own narrative and become the best version of yourself with 50 must-read lessons on creativity and self help that will inspire a new generation. Grant Brydon has interviewed some of the biggest names in hip-hop. Here he shares the creative directions and tips derived from one-on-one conversations with Pharrell Williams, J Cole, Big Sean, Nipsey Hussle, and many more. With chapters covering motivation, creativity, authenticity, reinventions, mental wellbeing, resilience, and more, the advice gleaned from these important artists' life experiences will help you to face up to your own challenges and inspire you to make simple changes that have major positive consequences. Lessons include: -Award-winning rapper, singer, songwriter and producer J Cole on how to Define Success -Grammy award-winning hip-hop- legend Nas on Maintaining Focus on What's Important -A lesson in Committing to Inspiration from Flo Milli, viral TikTok sensation and Best New Artist nominee at the 2020 -BET Hip Hop Awards -Big Sean on how to Take Time Off and Talk to Someone -Multiple BET Hip Hop Awards nominee Action Bronson on how not to be discouraged -Kenny Beats - producer of Vince Staples and Ed Sheeran - on the dangers of overthinking -Grammy nominated Freddie Gibbs on Integrity -Apple Radio show host Joe Kay on maintaining a healthy body and mind -Mac Miller on reinvention

The Tao of Wu

The Tao of Wu
Author: The RZA
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2010-11-02
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1594484856

From the founder of the Wu-Tang Clan—celebrating their 25th anniversary this year—an inspirational book for the hip hop fan. The RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the lessons he's learned on his journey from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom. A devout student of knowledge in every form in which he's found it, he distills here the wisdom he's acquired into seven "pillars," each based on a formative event in his life-from the moment he first heard the call of hip-hop to the death of his cousin and Clan- mate, Russell Jones, aka ODB. Delivered in RZA's unmistakable style, at once surprising, profound, and provocative, The Tao of Wu is a spiritual memoir the world has never seen before, and will never see again. A nonfiction Siddhartha for the hip-hop generation from the author of The Wu-Tang Manual, it will enlighten, entertain, and inspire.

The Message

The Message
Author: Felicia Pride
Publisher: Running Press
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2007-10-26
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 9781568583358

In this book of life lessons culled from hip-hop culture, author Felicia Pride examines a wide range of hip-hop songs and artists, interpreting life through their lenses. Growing up with hip-hop, Pride has come to realize the way it shaped how she thinks, writes, and reacts, making her the person she is today. By incorporating her own experiences and reflections with the rapper's message, she focuses on the positive, motivational influence hip-hop has on its audience. With each life lesson aptly titled after a hip-hop song, such as Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" or GangStarr's "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow," The Message explores spirituality, success, love, business, and more through hip-hop. Pride infuses these essential truths with examples from rappers' lives and music, providing positive reflections on hip-hop culture. For example, she tells you how to study how those with staying power, such as Missy Elliott and Russell Simmons, handle their business and how to incorporate similar tactics into your own life: be creative, diversify, handle your business. The Message shares the wisdom that Pride has learned from hip-hop, creating what is essentially a soundtrack to the hip-hopper's life.

Rap Dad

Rap Dad
Author: Juan Vidal
Publisher: Atria Books
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2020-03-17
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1501169408

This timely reflection on male identity in America that explores the intersection of fatherhood, race, and hip-hop culture “is a page-turner…drenched in history and encompasses the energy, fire, and passion that is hip-hop” (D. Watkins, New York Times bestselling author). Just as his music career was taking off, Juan Vidal received life-changing news: he’d soon be a father. Throughout his life, neglectful men were the norm—his own dad struggled with drug addiction and infidelity—a cycle that, inevitably, wrought Vidal with insecurity. At age twenty-six, with barely a grip on life, what lessons could he possibly offer a kid? Determined to alter the course for his child, Vidal did what he’d always done when confronted with life’s challenges—he turned to the counterculture. In Rap Dad, the musician-turned-journalist takes a thoughtful and inventive approach to exploring identity and examining how today’s society views fatherhood. To root out the source of his fears around parenting, Vidal revisits the flash points of his juvenescence, a feat that transports him, a first-generation American born to Colombian parents, back to the drug-fueled streets of 1980s–90s Miami. It’s during those pivotal years that he’s drawn to skateboarding, graffiti, and the music of rebellion: hip-hop. As he looks to the past for answers, he infuses his personal story with rap lyrics and interviews with some of pop culture’s most compelling voices—plenty of whom have proven to be some of society’s best, albeit nontraditional, dads. Along the way, Vidal confronts the unfair stereotypes that taint urban men—especially Black and Latino men. “A heartfelt examination of the damage that wayward fathers can leave in their wake” (The Washington Post), Rap Dad is “rich with symbolism…a poetic chronicle of beats, rhymes, and life” (NPR).