Westsiders

by William Shaw

The phenomenal success of Los Angelinos like N.W.A, Ice-T, Ice Cube, Coolio, Snoop, Dr.Dre and Warren G. means that every block in Southcentral contains at least one boy who wants to be a rapper. "Westsiders" is a book about seven young men, all of whom are trying to make it in the rap business. It follows the changes in their musical and personal lives as they try and get shows, auditions, record demos in an increasingly shark-filled market-place. A few have been, or are, gang members. Some have straight jobs, others are drug dealers. Some have stable backgrounds, others were raised by grandparents, aunts or single mothers. Some love gangsta rap with a passion, and want to keep faith with others want to move on to something more positive. What they all share is the experience of growing up in a place that is far more violent than the one their parents grew up in. They have to navigate the loyalties of neighbourhood and friendship. All have lost close friends or relatives in the violence.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Hip Hop

Paperback

First published April 12, 2000

About the author

I'm a crime writer and write the Eden Driscoll series set in South Devon, the Alex Cupidi series set in Dungeness, Kent and the Breen & Tozer series set in London in 1968-9.

My most recent book is The Red Shore, the first I the Eden Driscoll series, set in Teignmouth, Devon.

My non-fiction books include Westsiders , an account of several young would-be rappers struggling to establish themselves against a backdrop of poverty and violence in South Central Los Angeles, Superhero For Hire , a compilation and of the Small Ads columns I wrote for the Observer Magazine, and Spying In Guru Land , in which I joined several British religious cults to write about them.

A Song From Dead Lips was the first in a trilogy of books set in London in 1968, featuring DS Cathal Breen and WPC Helen Tozer. It was followed by A House of Knives and A Book of Scars .

I live in Glenbeigh, Co. Kerry.

Reviews

[Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who grew up in the 90s obsessed with west coast hip hop, I thought I knew all the stories. Turns out that there was a whole layer underneath the Suge Knights and Kurupts of dudes struggling to break into the industry in ways I hadn’t dreamed of. I was particularly fascinated by the passages about the dudes who hung up promotional posters — their tactics for keeping their posters up and making sure other dudes didn’t cover their posters and how their bosses could track album sales based on how many posters went up.

This book is similar in perspective to Zinn’s “People’s History...” in that it focuses on the lower echelons rather than the giants in the story. With a focused narrative and memorable characters, this is a fascinating look at an era and an aesthetic that captivated the world for a decade.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is much more a mini social history of Compton and southern LA told alongside the story over a year of a few young men trying to make it in the hip hop business.

[Michael Dolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Shaw is one of the great music journalists of our time. If you are interested in hip-hop, this book will earn a permanent place in your library.

[Adontis Robinson]

I learned how u can start out on the streets lilke selling drugs but end up doin something good,going to school to do something with yourself in u dont have to grugs to have money.

[Lynecia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great non-fiction work on hip hop and gang culture in Los Angeles in the 1990s.