155 Bubs quote. “Old Cases.” The Wire, season 1, episode 4. Directed by Clement Virgo. Teleplay by David Simon. HBO, originally aired June 23, 2002.
155 Slim Charles quote. “Mission Accomplished.” The Wire, season 3, episode 12. Directed by Ernest Dickerson. Teleplay by David Simon. HBO, originally aired December 19, 2004.
155 Ta-Nehisi Coates. “Keepin’ It Unreal: Selling the Myth of Black Male Violence, Long Past Its Expiration Date.” Village Voice, June 3, 2003. http://www.villagevoice.com/2003-06-03/news/keepin-it-unreal/3.
155 Missy Elliott. “Work It.” Elektra 67340-0, single, 2002.
2003
156 50 Cent. “In Da Club.” Get Rich or Die Tryin’. Shady Records 0694935442, album, 2003.
157 Toure. “Is This Rap’s Logical Conclusion?” (Includes 50 Cent interview.) The Guardian, March 27, 2003. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/mar/28/artsfeatures
157 Beth Altschull. “The Ludacris Life.” (Includes Ludacris interview.) GQ, June 2006. http://www.gq.com/entertainment/music/200604/ludacris-actor-rapper-album-crash.
157 Oprah as interviewed by Ed Lover. The Ed Lover Morning Show. WWPR (Power 105), New York. November 4, 2008. (This interview has been removed from the radio station’s website.)
159 Andrew Goldman. “Cent and Sensibility.” (Includes 50 Cent interview.) Elle, December 26, 2006. http://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a9198/50-cent-interview.
160 Shaheem Reid. “50 Cent: Money to Burn.” MTV.com, February 12, 2003. http://www.mtv.com/bands/123/50_Cent/news_feature_021203.
161 Nas. “Made You Look” (Apache Remix). No Identity ID006, UK single, 2002.
2004
162 Mike Jones, featuring Slim Thug and Paul Wall. “Still Tippin’.” Asylum PR 301620, single, 2004.
166 Jesse Serwer. “DJ Screw: From Cough Syrup to Full-Blown Fever.” (Includes Drake email interview.) The Guardian, November 11, 2010. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/nov/11/dj-screw-drake-fever-ray.
166 Crime Mob, featuring Lil Scrappy. “Knuck if You Buck.” Warner Bros. Records 0-42736, single, 2004.
2005
168 Kanye West, featuring Jamie Foxx. “Gold Digger.” Roc-A-Fella Records B0005118-11, single, 2005.
169 Rob Tannenbaum. “Playboy Interview: Kanye West.” Playboy (March 2006), 49.
172 Young Jeezy, featuring Jay Z. “Go Crazy.” Def Jam Recordings B0005456-11, single, 2005.
2006
174 Rick Ross. “Hustlin’.” Def Jam Recordings B0006463-11, single, 2006.
177 “Screw Rick Ross: Despite Denials, Records Show Rap Star Worked as Corrections Officer.” Smoking Gun, July 21, 2008. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/screw-rick-ross.
179 T.I. “What You Know.” Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records 0-94251, single, 2006.
179 Rich Boy, featuring Polow Da Don. “Throw Some D’s.” Rich Boy. Zone 4/Inter-scope Records B0008556-01, album, 2007.
2007
180 UGK, featuring Outkast. “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You).” Jive 88697-11063-1, single, 2007.
181 Tom Hardy as Bane. The Dark Knight Rises. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Legendary Pictures/DC Entertainment, 2012.
185 Kanye West, featuring T-Pain. “Good Life.” Graduation. Roc-A-Fella Records B0009541-02, album, 2007.
2008
186 Lil Wayne. “A Milli.” Tha Carter III. Cash Money Records B0011033-02, album, 2008.
190 Jay Z and T.I., featuring Lil Wayne and Kanye West. “Swagga Like Us.” Roc-A-Fella Records B0012284-11, single, 2008.
2009
192 Drake. “Best I Ever Had.” Cash Money Records DBESTCDP1, single, 2009.
195 Jon Caramanica. “A Sensitive Rap Star Toughens Up.” New York Times, September 18, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/arts/music/drake-finds-his-tougher-side-on-nothing-was-the-same.html.
195 Marlow Stern. “Drake on ‘Take Care,’ Rihanna, Chris Brown ‘Fight,’ Acting, and More.” Daily Beast, November 15, 2011. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/15/drake-on-take-care-rihanna-chris-brown-fight-acting-and-more.html.
196 Gucci Mane. “Lemonade.” The State vs. Radric Davis. Warner Bros. Records 520540-2, album, 2009.
2010
198 Kanye West, featuring Rick Ross, Jay Z, Bon Iver, and Nicki Minaj. “Monster.” My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Roc-A-Fella Records B0014695-02, album, 2010.
199 Nicki Minaj. “Yeah Yeah Yeah” freestyle. The Come Up: Spittin’ TOUGH. DVD. Uploaded on YouTube, February 20, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pRDoaeow7Y.
202 Lauren Nostro et al. “The 25 Best Rap Verses of the Last 5 Years.” Complex, May 29, 2013. http://www.complex.com/music/2013/05/best-rap-verses-of-the-last-5-years.
202 Brent Staples. “Nicki Minaj Crashes HipHop’s Boys’ Club.” New York Times Sunday Review, July 7, 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/opinion/sunday/nicki-minaj-crashes-hip-hops-boys-club.html.
202 Tom Breihan. “Monster” review. Pitchfork, “Best New Track,” September 7, 2010. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11970-monster-ft-justin-vernon-rick-ross-jay-z-and-nicki-minaj.
202 Waka Flocka Flame. “Hard in Da Paint.” Flockaveli. 1017 Brick Squad Records 523481-2, album, 2010.
2011
204 Jay Z and Kanye West. “Niggas in Paris.” Watch the Throne. Roc-A-Fella Records B0015958-02, album, 2011.
207 Alex Pappademas. “King: Jay-Z.” GQ Men of the Year 2011. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://www.gq.com/moty/2011/jay-z-gq-men-of-the-year-issue?currentPage=2.
208 David Samuels. “What Obama Can Learn from Jay-Z.” Atlantic, November 7, 2012. http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/11/what-obama-can-learn-from-jay-z/264933.
208 Melissa S. Kearney and Benjamin H. Harris. “Ten Economic Facts About Crime and Incarceration in the United States.” Brookings Institute, The Hamilton Project, chapter 2, fact 7/figure 7, May 1, 2014. http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2014/05/10-crime-facts.
208 Rahim Kanani. “An English Class Devoted to Jay-Z and Kanye West at the University of Missouri.” (Includes Andrew Hoberek interview.) Forbes.com, February 10, 2014. http://www.forbes.com/sites/rahim-kanani/2014/02/10/an-english-class-devoted-to-jay-z-and-kanye-west-at-the-university-of-missouri.
208 W. E. B. Du Bois. The Souls of Black Folk (Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Co., 1903; Mineola, NY: Dover, 1994), 2. Citation refers to the Dover edition.
209 Jay Z and Kanye West. “Otis.” Watch the Throne, 2011.
2012
210 Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. “Same Love.” The Heist. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis LLC (self-released album), 2012.
213 R. J. Snell. “How Songs Like Macklemore’s ‘Same Love’ Change the Marriage Debate.” FirstThings.com, June 25, 2013. http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2013/06/how-songs-like-macklemores-ldquosame-loverdquo-change-the-marriage-debate.
214 “Macklemore Joins the Great Race Debate on Ebro in the Morning.” Hot97.com video, December 29, 2014. http://www.hot97.com/news/new-hot97/macklemore-joins-great-race-debate-ebro-morning-video.
214 Juicy J, featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. “Bandz a Make Her Dance.” Columbia, digital single, 2012.
2013
216 Big Sean, featuring Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. “Control.” Self-released digital single, 2013.
219 “Rapper of the Year: Freestyling with Kendrick Lamar.” 2013 GQ Men of the Year photo shoot. GQ video, November 12, 2013. http://video.gq.com/watch/gq-rapper-of-the-year-freestyling-with-kendrick-lamar.
220 Kanye West. “New Slaves.” Yeezus. Def Jam Recordings B0018653-02, album, 2013.
2014
222 Rich Gang, featuring Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan. “Lifestyle.” Cash Money Records, digital single, 2014.
227 Run the Jewels, featuring Boots. “Early.” Run the Jewels 2. Mass Appeal MSAP0005, album, 2014.
227 Michelle Alexander. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (New York: The New Press, 2010).
Index of S
earchable Terms
A
A$AP Rocky
Aaliyah
Abbott, Henry
Above the Rim (movie)
Above the Rim (soundtrack)
Ace Hood
Ad-Rock
Aerosmith
Afrika Bambaataa
“Against All Odds” (Tupac)
Ahlerich, Milt
“Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg” (TLC)
“Ain’t Shhh to Discuss” (Erick Sermon)
A. J. Les
All Eyez on Me (album)
“alley-oop” (phrase)
“All Falls Down” (Kanye West)
All Up In the Videos (chart)
Alternate Realities (chart)
American Bandstand (TV show)
American Dream, The (movie)
Anderson, Pamela
Andre 3000
“Animal Style” (Murs)
Aniston, Jennifer
A-Plus (rapper)
“Armageddon in Effect” (Spin magazine)
“Around the Way Girl” (LL Cool J)
Arrested Development (group)
Arsenio Hall Show, The
“Assassins” (Geto Boys)
Atlantic, The (website)
“Ave., The” (Dre Dog)
Ayers, Mike
“A’Yo Kato” (DMX)
B
Back in Black (album)
back spinning
Bad Boy Records
Badu, Erykah
Baker, Arthur
Baltimore School for the Arts
Bambaataa Zulu Nation Soul Sonic Force
“Bandz A Make Her Dance” (Juicy J)
Bane (Batman character)
Barber, Bryan
Barbershop (movie)
Barenaked Ladies
Barrymore, Drew
Barshad, Amos
basketball
“Basketball” (Kurtis Blow)
Batman movies
“Batterram” (Toddy Tee)
“battle rap” songs
Baylor
“B-boy” (phrase)
Beastie Boys
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (documentary)
Beat Street (movie)
“Beautiful Night” (Prince Paul)
“Been Around the World” (Puff Daddy & the Family, featuring the Notorious B.I.G. and Mase)
Behind the Music (TV show)
Bellamy, Bill
“Best Friend” (50 Cent, featuring Olivia)
“Best I Ever Had” (Drake)
Best Rap Album awards
“Beware” (Big Sean)
Beyoncé
B.G.
“B-girl” (phrase)
Biafra, Jello
Big Bank Hank
Big Boi
“Big Brother” (Kanye West)
Big Daddy Kane
Bigger and Deffer (album)
Biggie & Tupac (documentary)
Biggie Smalls. See Notorious B.I.G., The
Bigg Tyme
Big L
“Big Pimpin’” (Jay Z, featuring UGK)
“Big Poppa” (The Notorious B.I.G.)
Big Sean
Big Tymers
Billboard chart
Artist of the Decade
Hot 100 chart
Hot Digital Songs chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart
Hot Rap Singles chart
Top 200
Billboard (magazine)
Biography Late Night (documentary series)
Biz Markie
Black Panther Party
Black Rob
“Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” (Public Enemy)
Blackstreet
Bleek, Memphis
Blige, Mary J.
“Bling Bling” (B.G., featuring Hot Boys and Big Tymers)
Block Is Hot, The (album)
Blow, Kurtis. See Kurtis Blow
Blowout Comb (album)
Blueprint, The (album)
Bomb Squad (producers)
Bond movies, James
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
“Bonita Applebum” (A Tribe Called Quest)
Bon Iver
Boo and Gotti
Boogie Down Productions
Boots (rapper)
Bowie, Sam
“Boyz-n-the Hood” (Eazy-E)
“Braveheart Party” (Stillmatic)
break beats
Breakin’ (movie)
Breakin’ 2 (movie)
“Break My Stride” (Matthew Wilder)
Breakout, DJ
“Breaks, The” (Kurtis Blow)
Breihan, Tom
“Brenda’s Got a Baby” (Tupac)
Bridenthal, Bryn
“Bring the Noise” (Public Enemy)
Bromwich, Jonah
Bronx, South
Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project
Brooklyn Nets
Brotha Lynch Hung
Brother D
Brown, Danny
Browne, Rembert
“Brown Skin Lady” (Mos Def and Talib Kweli)
Bry, Dave
Bun B
“Burn Hollywood Burn” (Public Enemy)
Bush, George W.
Bushwick Bill
Busy Bee Starski
“By the Time I Get to Arizona” (Public Enemy)
C
“California Love” (Tupac, featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman)
cameos in music videos, Puff Daddy
“Can I Live” (Pusha T)
Can I Quit It? (chart)
“Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” (Puff Daddy, featuring Mase)
Cantor, Paul
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (Chang)
Cappadonna
Caramanica, Jon
Carey, Mariah
Carmichael, Emma
Carter, DJ Drew
Carter, Sean
Casanova Fly
See also Grandmaster Caz
Cash Money Records
CB4 (movie)
Chamillionaire
Chang, Jeff
Chappelle, Dave
Charles, Ray
Charlotte Hornets (basketball team)
“Check the Rhime” (A Tribe Called Quest)
Check Your Head (album)
Chic (band)
“Children’s Story” (Slick Rick)
“Chopped ’n’ Skrewed” (T-Pain, featuring Ludacris)
Christ Bearer (rapper)
“Christmas Rappin’” (Kurtis Blow)
Chronic, The (album)
“Chuck Chuck.” See Mr. Freeze
Chuck D
“City Is Mine, The” (Jay Z)
“City Sleeps, The” (MC 900 Ft Jesus)
City University of New York Tragedy
Clash, The
Clinton, Bill
Clipse, The
C-Loc
Coates, Ta-Nehisi
Cohen, Lyor
Cold Crush Brothers
“Cold Rock a Party” (MC Lyte)
Cole, J.
Collective Effort, The (group)
College Dropout, The (album)
“Colors” (Ice-T video)
Colors (movie)
Columbia Records
Come Up, The (mixtape DVD series)
Common (rapper)
Complex.com
Congressional Black Caucus
Connery, Sean
“Control” (Big Sean, featuring Lamar and Jay Electronica)
Cooper, Abraham (Rabbi)
Cooper, Anderson
Cosmic Force (group)
Costanza, George
Crash (movie)
“C.R.E.A.M” (Wu-Tang Clan)
Creepin’ on ah Come up (album)
Crime Mob
Criminal Minded (album)
Cummings, Jozen
Curry, Stephen
Cypress Hill
D
D12
Da Band
Da Brat
Daily Beast (news website)
Daly, Carson
Dame Dash
“Dance with the Devil” (Immortal Technique)
Dark Knight Rises, The (movie)
Dash, Stacey
Davis, Miles
Dawson, Rosario
Day Hell Broke Loose 2, The (compilation tape)
Dead Kennedys, The (band)
“Dead Presidents” (Jay Z)
“Dear Mama” (Tupac)
Death Row label
Death Threats (chart)
Decision Points (Bush)
Decoded (Jay Z)
Deeper Than Rap (album)
Def Jam Records
DeGeneres, Ellen
De La Soul
De Niro, Robert
“Devil’s Son” (Big L)
“Diamonds from Sierra Leone” (Kanye West)
Diary (TV show)
Diary, The (album)
Dickerson, Ernest R.
Diddy. See Puff Daddy
Digable Planets
Dilinjah, Dylan
disco music
DJ Breakout
DJ Drew Carter
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
DJ Khaled
DJ Kool Herc
DJ Quick
DJ Scott La Rock
DJ Screw
DJ Toomp
DJ Yella
DJs, in early rap
DMX
“D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)” (Jay Z)
Dogg Food (album)
Dogg Pound, Tha
Doggystyle (album)
Dombal, Ryan
Don Magic Juan
“Don’t Believe the Hype” (Public Enemy)
“Don’t Sweat the Technique” (Eric B. and Rakim)
Dope Jam Tour (Ice-T tour)
Do the Right Thing (movie)
Doug E. Fresh
Downs, Hugh
Do You Want More?!!!??! (album)
Drake
Drake’s Mood (chart)
Dr. Dre
Dre Dog
“Drop It Like It’s Hot” (Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams)
Drought Is Over 2, The (album)
drugs
Du Bois, W. E. B.
“Duke Bootee” (Ed Fletcher)
Dupri, Jermaine
Duvall, Robert
Dyson, Michael Eric
E
E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX (DMX and Fontaine)
“Early” (Run the Jewels, featuring Boots)
Eazy-E
Eddy, Chuck
Edwards, Bernard
Eightball & MJG
808s & Heartbreak (album)
Eisenberg, Jesse
Elektra Records
Elle (magazine)
Ellen DeGeneres Show, The
Elliott, Missy
El-P
“El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido” (Quilapayún and Sergio Ortega)
The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song from Every Year Since 1979, Discussed, Debated, and Deconstructed Page 30