Chuck D

The tragedy of gun violence is depicted in annotated illustrations that illuminate a society gone hamn; from legendary hip-hop artist Chuck D (Public Enemy, Prophets of Rage, etc.) In Summer of Hamn, legendary hip-hop artist Chuck D takes on gun violence with rhythmic, inventive writing and passionately raw art. He has long spoken out against gun violence, including how it intersects with rap and hip-hop culture. Summer of Hamn is the bound journal Chuck D carried with him in the summer of 2022—a summer marked by a particularly high rate of gun death. In these pages, victims are memorialized, politicians are skewered, and vehement pleas to eradicate gun violence are made. Jaw-dropping statistics (40% of all personal guns in the world are owned by US citizens; there are 100 million more guns in the US than there are citizens) intersect with poetic reflections ("Another mall shooting seems normalized in Columbus / Raining outside in Ohio / Raining inside folks panic / Inside hearing shots bust"), all written in Chuck's hand over vibrant, utterly original, neoexpressionist ink and watercolor art. This book is the follow-up to STEWdio the debut trilogy on Chuck D's Enemy Books imprint, in which he invented a new medium—the "naphic grovel"—a bound journal brimming with his observations and reflections of current events in both art and prose. Summer of Hamn is the second release on the imprint.

Hollowpointlessness Aiding Mass Nihilism

Summer of Hamn

Kamau Butler

Akilah Butler

Much has been said regarding the current state of Black relationships in America. With a rising divorce rate, a dramatic increase in the amount of Black children being raised in single parent households, more and more Black men being incarcerated every year, and the psychological rifts that exist between Black men and women that stem from centuries of pain and fear, the Black relationship is in dire need of healing. This healing has arrived in the form of the Love Ethic. Based upon the belief that the relationship between Black men and women is the bedrock of the African American community and holds the key to wealth, equality and prosperity for the Black community, Kamau and Akilah take the reader on an historical journey through American history in search of Black love. Those who are single, married, divorced, or in committed relationships will draw encouragement, understanding and hope from this book. The Love Ethic is a text de eply embedded in the African American cultural tradition, as it attempts to look back as a way to move forward.

The Reason why You Can't Find and Keep Beautiful Black Love

The Love Ethic

'I was raised with an artist's mentality; my first 25 years were spent as somebody who wanted to live among graphics and artwork and illustration, and then for the next 30 years it was all music. Recently, I've reverted into the arts, combining all these elements in my work, still trying to change the world. This is truly what I want to do. My deepest thanks to Genesis for giving me a place to be able to display all of this through my artwork.' - Chuck D ﻿In his first fine art book, Livin' Loud, Public Enemy founder, hip-hop pioneer and revolutionary activist, Chuck D, presents a body of artworks which continue to address the social and politically conscious issues of his lyrics. In Livin' Loud, Chuck D's artworks reveal his visual dexterity as he explores a diverse range of subjects paying homage to his musical influences and peers from James Brown and Woody Guthrie to Def Jam labelmates Run-DMC and Beastie Boys; a host of the most influential hip-hop artists from Ice Cube to Run the Jewels; his twin passions of baseball and basketball; creating a collection of landscapes on tour with Prophets of Rage, and a range of sociopolitical pieces that explore the issues continuing to shape our culture. Chuck D has been creating musical and cultural observations that challenge public opinion since 1985 and his visual compositions continue to interpret and question the world around us. Chuck D's written commentary traces his musical and artistic trajectory from his early roots and the central figures that critically shaped him and his voice, the formation of Public Enemy through to their Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction, his time with Prophets of Rage through to current day world affairs. With a foreword by Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Chuck D's art debut Livin' Loud is a visual experience of over 250 artworks, each piece reflective of the man behind the music.

ARTitation

Livin' Loud

Dustin Shekell

In a youth-dominated industry filled with one-hit wonders and short-lived careers, LL Cool J has shown remarkable longevity. Born James Todd Smith, he bounced back from a turbulent childhood to become one of the most groundbreaking artists in rap music history. From practicing in his grandmother's basement to selling out venues around the world, LL Cool J has remained relevant for more than two decades. And with eight consecutive platinum albums, roles is more than 20 motion pictures, and the starring role in a primetime sitcom, his artistic diversity shows no limits or signs of slowing down. It hasn't come easy, but through the years LL has stayed the course and stayed on top. With its blend of appealing full-color photographs, engaging text, and informative features such as sidebars, a chronology, discography, glossary and related Web sites, LL Cool J sheds new light on this charismatic and versatile performer.

LL Cool J

Evan Narcisse

Che Grayson

Regine Sawyer

Troy-Jeffery Allen

Z2 Z2 Comics

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the landmark album Apocalypse 91: The Enemy Strikes Black with this commemorative sequel graphic anthology! Revolution Never Sleeps begins on the familiar backdrop of 1991 and explodes into far-flung futures with a series of speculative fiction stories by the industry's leading creators, including Evan Narcisse (Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales), Regine Sawyer (Dark Nights: Death Metal), Che Grayson (Batman: Urban Legends), Troy-Jeffrey Allen (Villain: All Caps), and many more! Witness revolutionaries in every millennium stand up and fight the power with a little help from the rhythms and rebels of the past.

Chuck D Presents Apocalypse 91: Revolution Never Sleeps Hardcover

Cookie Lommel

Known by many as the godfather of hip-hop, Russell Simmons first took notice of the burgeoning movement as a college student in New York City. After making a name for himself promoting shows and managing artists, Simmons co-founded Def Jam Recordings and began producing some of the most prominent names in hip-hop. Expanding his interests, Simmons turned to film and TV production, and it wasn't long before he would conquer the fashion industry with his influential Phat Farm clothing line. More recently, Simmons has focused on philanthropic ventures, founding the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network to promote economic and social justice, fighting anti-Semitism and cruelty toward animals, encouraging young people to vote, and serving as an entrepreneurial role model. This insightful new biography traces the life of a man whose remarkable achievements in the world of hip-hop has led to memorable work for worthy causes.

Russell Simmons

Foreword by Shepard Fairey. As featured in Best stocking-filler books of 2017 - The Guardian If you want to understand our culture. To learn knowledge itself. Truth about the art form of poetry in motion. The struggle of our community through rhyme and rhythm. This is the book that inspired me long before I found my place in hip-hop. The power of self-expression. Unapologetically. Taught by the teacher himself. Chuck D!!! Kendrick Lamar This book is required reading for those who claim to know hip-hop, love hip-hop, and want their information from a true Master and General of the hip-hop culture...Public Enemy #1, Chuck D! Ice-T Chuck D wasn't put here to play any games. He created the greatest hip-hop album in my opinion to date, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. But the very first minute he sonically appeared to us, I knew rap was changed forever. Power, awareness, strength, and militancy is his stance in a world obsessed with punishing poor people. I knew he would righteously and boldly die so that a little young boy he didn't even know from Queensbridge could live. He attacked wickedness head-on being the rappin' rhino terror that he is. He represented for all of us putting his life on the line and making the right music fighting for hip hop, the youth, truth, and justice. Chuck D made the lane for people like me to walk. Nas Reading this book is like reliving my life all over again. Chuck D is Dope!!! LL Cool J In the more than 40 years since the days of DJ Kool Herc and "Rapper's Delight," hip-hop and rap have become a billion-pound worldwide cultural phenomenon that reaches well beyond music, into fashion, movies, art and politics. Yet there is no definitive history of the genre - until now. This massive compendium details the most iconic moments and influential songs in the genre's recorded history, from Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'" to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill to Kendrick Lamar's verse on "Control." Also included are key events in hip-hop history, from Grandmaster Flash's first scratch through to Tupac's holographic appearance at Coachella. Throughout the book, Chuck offers an insider's perspective on the chart toppers, artists and key moments. Illustrating the pages are more than 150 portraits from mADurgency, an artist collective specialising in art and design for the hip-hop community.

This Day in Rap and Hip-Hop History

Chuck D presents Apocalypse 91: Revolution Never Sleeps

Yusuf Jah

His lyrics are a lesson in history. His songs are a movement in groove theory. His book is a light out of the dark that will change the way you think about America and the world as a whole. From Rap to Hip-Hop, Gangsta to Trip-Hop, Chuck D, his Bomb Squad, and his monumental band, Public Enemy, have been a sonic, singular, and transcendental force in modern music. As a poet and philosopher, Chuck D has been the hard rhymer, rolling anthems off his tongue in an era of apathy, tapping into the youth culture of the world for more than a decade. Fight the Power, his first book, part memoir, part treatise, part State of the Union Address, is a testament to his nearly twenty years in the music business and his experiences around the world. Here is a history of one of the most important and controversial musical movements of our century, its impact on modern culture, and the heroes and victims it has created in its wake. Chuck D has never been just a rapper. He's an artist, a rock 'n' roll star who's shared the spotlight with everyone from U2 to Anthrax. He's fought to bridge the gap between musical genres and cultural differences. He is truly the voice of a generation. Startling, gripping, and uncompromising, Fight the Power is most of all the story of one man's struggle to bring about change in this difficult world at all costs. It is certain to take its place among the classics of African American experience.

Fight The Power: Rap, Race and Reality

The power is in the mic, and the power has been unleashed in clubs, arenas, stadiums, stages, and parks all over the planet. MC's are able to connect with its audience in a way that the music alone cannot. Hip Hop, via the MC, has undoubtedly become the voice of a new generation. Much attention has been paid to the staggering impact hip hop music and culture has had on the greater American and world cultures; its influence on fashion, television, advertising, and the attitudes of the world’s youth. However, not nearly as much attention has been paid to the social and political impact that the art form and its artists have had. Lyrics of a Rap Revolutionary is designed to transcend rap and venture into the realm of offering commentary and analysis into some of the deeper aspects of life itself. As one of rap’s preeminent political and social groups of all time, front man Chuck D offers direct explanations and interpretations of what his lyrics are about as a tool to help set minds free in this "hustle and flow and get rich or die tryin times." Chuck D — consistently ranked as one of the greatest rappers of all time — will provide insight in the creation of Hip-Hop iconic albums 1988’s “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” and 1990’s “Fear of a Black Planet”, both recognized among the greatest politically charged albums of all time featuring rap classics such as "Fight the Power," "Don’t Believe The Hype," "Can’t Truss It," and "Welcome to the Terrordome." As Chuck D explains, "We must remain mindful that there’s a road to freedom, and resist the embarrassingly popular trend that ignorance and a ghetto mentality, which is cast upon us, is our only food for thought or food for non-thought. As MC's we must become more responsible and revolutionary in our approach, because we have young people around the globe listening to our every word and watching our every step." Lyrics of a Rap Revolutionary: Times, Rhymes & Mind of Chuck D will clarify, in a way similar to when a person rereads a book ten years after originally reading it, and allow for a deeper understanding and further insight into the thoughts behind classic and controversial Public Enemy lyrics. Admirers proclaimed him the Bob Dylan or Bob Marley of rap. -- Los Angeles Times One of the most politically and socially conscious artists of any generation? -- Spike Lee Chuck D is the greatest voice in Hip Hop history as far as social commentary and rhymes for the upliftment of Black people. Chuck D is in a league of his own. -- Kool Moe Dee

Times, Rhymes & Mind of Chuck D

Lyrics of a Rap Revolutionary

Dennis Abrams

Born Shawn Carter in New York City in 1970, Jay-Z enjoys the kind of rags-to-riches success that few can only dream of. Driven by raw ambition and tremendous talent, Jay-Z started his own record company, Roc-A-Fella Records, in 1995, when, as a struggling artist, he couldn't convince any music labels to give him a recording contract. On the strength of seven consecutive best-selling albums, Jay-Z quickly established himself and Roc-A-Fella as powerful forces in the music industry. Today, he is a Grammy Award-winner and the president and CEO of Def Jam Records, a multimillionaire with ventures in film, apparel, and even professional sports. This captivating new biography traces the meteoric rise of Jay-Z, exploring in full detail why he remains one of the most popular and formidable rappers around.

Jay-Z

In 1987, three Jewish boys from New York forever changed the face of pop music. Their first album, Licensed to III and its smash hit single, (You've Gotta) Fight For Your Right (to Party) created a fresh new sound by blending hip-hop beats with a rock edge and punk attitude, in the process helping to bring hip-hop into the mainstream. Further albums have continued to push musical boundaries while confirming their position as one of the most influential musical groups of our time. And more than just chart-topping musicians, their unwavering commitment to Tibetan freedom and the plight of the Tibetan people has informed and inspired millions. Through a career that has had its share of ups and downs, the Beastie Boys have remained best friends and musical visionaries. This exciting new biography traces the group's transformation from radio-ready brats to elder statesmen of hip-hop.

Beastie Boys

Lyrics of a Rap Revolutionary is the stories and reasons behind the rhymes, messages and songs of Public Enemy's Chuck D. Yusuf Jah takes readers on a journey through the lyrics and inspiration leading to such rap classics as Fight the Power, Don't Believe the Hype, Can't Truss It and Welcome to the Terrordome, to name but a few. The first in a series of books on the music and words of hip-hop, told by the masters themselves.

The power is in the mic, and the power has been unleashed in clubs, arenas, stadiums, stages, and parks all over the planet. MC's are able to connect with its audience in a way that the music alone cannot. Hip Hop, via the MC, has undoubtedly become the voice of a new generation. Much attention has been paid to the staggering impact hip hop music and culture has had on the greater American and world cultures; its influence on fashion, television, advertising, and the attitudes of the world's youth. However, not nearly as much attention has been paid to the social and political impact that the art form and its artists have had. Lyrics of a Rap Revolutionary is designed to transcend rap and venture into the realm of offering commentary and analysis into some of the deeper aspects of life itself. As one of rap's preeminent political and social groups of all time, front man Chuck D offers direct explanations and interpretations of what his lyrics are about as a tool to help set minds free in this "hustle and flow and get rich or die tryin times." Chuck D - consistently ranked as one of the greatest rappers of all time - will provide insight in the creation of Hip-Hop iconic albums 1988's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" and 1990's "Fear of a Black Planet", both recognized among the greatest politically charged albums of all time featuring rap classics such as "Fight the Power," "Don't Believe The Hype," "Can't Truss It," and "Welcome to the Terrordome." As Chuck D explains, "We must remain mindful that there's a road to freedom, and resist the embarrassingly popular trend that ignorance and a ghetto mentality, which is cast upon us, is our only food for thought or food for non-thought. As MC's we must become more responsible and revolutionary in our approach, because we have young people around the globe listening to our every word and watching our every step." Lyrics of a Rap Revolutionary: Times, Rhymes & Mind of Chuck D will clarify, in a way similar to when a person rereads a book ten years after originally reading it, and allow for a deeper understanding and further insight into the thoughts behind classic and controversial Public Enemy lyrics. Admirers proclaimed him the Bob Dylan or Bob Marley of rap. -- Los Angeles Times One of the most politically and socially conscious artists of any generation? -- Spike Lee Chuck D is the greatest voice in Hip Hop history as far as social commentary and rhymes for the upliftment of Black people. Chuck D is in a league of his own. -- Kool Moe Dee

Chuck D, the creative force behind Public Enemy and one of the most outspoken rappers in the history of music, discusses his views on everything from rap and race to the problems with politics in society today.

Rap, Race and Reality with Yusuf Jah

Fight the Power

**FREE SAMPLER** In the more than 40 years since the days of DJ Kool Herc and "Rapper's Delight," hip-hop and rap have become a billion-pound worldwide cultural phenomenon that reaches well beyond music, into fashion, movies, art and politics. Yet there is no definitive history of the genre - until now. Get a first look at this massive and comprehensive compendium before it officially publishes in October. Including details of the most iconic moments and influential songs in the genre's recorded history, from Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'" to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill to Kendrick Lamar's verse on "Control," the book will also include key events in hip-hop history, from Grandmaster Flash's first scratch through to Tupac's holographic appearance at Coachella. Throughout the book, Chuck offers an insider's perspective on the chart toppers, artists and key moments. Illustrating the pages are more than 150 portraits from mADurgency, an artist collective specialising in art and design for the hip-hop community.

A one-of-a kind survey of rap and hip hop history from 1973 to today by Chuck D, arguably the most influential rapper in the world. In the more than 40 years since the days of DJ Kool Herc and "Rapper's Delight," hip hop and rap have become a billion-dollar worldwide phenomenon. Yet there is no definitive history of the genre-until now. Based on Chuck's long-running show on Rapstation.com, this massive compendium details the most iconic moments and influential songs in the genre's recorded history, from Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'" to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill to Kendrick Lamar's ground-breaking verse on "Control." Also included are key events in hip hop history, from Grandmaster Flash's first scratch through Tupac's holographic appearance at Coachella. Throughout, Chuck offers his insider's perspective on the chart toppers and show stoppers as he lived it. Illustrating the pages are more than 100 portraits from the talented artists specializing in hip hop.

Ahmed J. Obaid

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