Hip Hop Underground: The Integrity and Ethics of Racial Identification

by Anthony Kwame Harrison

"Hip Hop Underground"ais a vivid ethnography of the author's observations and experiences in the multiracial world of the San Francisco underground hip hop scene. While Anthony Kwame Harrison interviewed area hip hop artists for this entertaining and informative book, he also performed as the emcee Mad Squirrel. His immersion in the subculture provides him with unique insights into this dynamic and racially diverse but close-knit community. "Hip Hop Underground"aexamines the changing nature of race among young Americans, and examines the issues of ethnic and racial identification, interaction, and understanding. Critiquing the notion that the Bay Area underground music scene is genuinely colorblind, Harrison focuses on the issue of race to show how various ethnic groups engage hip hop in remarkably divergent waysOCoas a means to both claim subcultural legitimacy and establish their racial authenticity."

226 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jehnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthropology of 1990s hip hop in San Fran. A good grounding that adds nuance to the books which suggest all hip hop culture is defined by the Black urban experience.

[Chi Chi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that takes a look at the racial politics of the underground hip hop scene in the Bay Area in the early 2000s. Harrison spent a year living there, working at Amoeba, going to shows, and even recording with a group. A very nuanced look at all the factors that contribute to relationships amongst all the participants in the culture.

[Mills College Library]

306.48424 H3182 2009