Recognizing the Foundation

The Ascent of Hip-Hop
A historical, cultural, and aesthetic study of b-boying
By Adam Mansbach

Review of FOUNDATION:
B-Boys, B-Girls, and Hip-Hop Culture in New York
By Joseph G. Schloss
Oxford University, 176 pp., illustrated, $19.55

Schloss's book is a major contribution to a new school of hip-hop scholarship, one whose aesthetic and political engagement transcends the simplistic attack/defend paradigm that has plagued the public discourse for so long. "It is not enough to simply say that hip-hop is a complex and sophisticated cultural tradition," he writes. "We must demonstrate it." For a compelling and under-examined art form, "Foundation" does just that.

Read the Full Review @ The Boston Globe

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Adam Mansbach is the author of The End of the Jews winner of the California Book Award