In September 1979, there was a cosmic shift that went unnoticed by the majority of mainstream America. This shift was triggered by the release of the Sugarhill Gang's single, Rapper's Delight. Not only did it usher rap music into the mainstream's consciousness, it brought us the word "hip-hop." And, It Don't Stop, edited by the award winning journalist Raquel Cepeda, with a foreword from Nelson George is a collection of the best articles the hip-hop generation has produced. It captures the indelible moments in hip-hop's history since 1979 and will be the centerpiece of the twenty-fifth-anniversary celebration.
This book epitomizes the media's response by taking the reader on an engaging and critical journey, including the very first pieces written about hip-hop for publications like The Village Voice-controversial articles that created rifts between church and state, the artist and journalist, and articles that recorded the rise and tragic fall of the art form's appointed heroes, such as Tupac Shakur, Eazy-E, and the Notorious B.I.G. The list of contributors includes Toure, Kevin Powell, dream hampton, Harry Allen, Cheo Hodari Coker, Greg Tate, Bill Adler, Hilton Als, Danyel Smith, and Joan Morgan.
"Hip Hop is the voice of the communtity and its child, Hip Hop journalism, adds a new element to the mix in another medium that goes way beyond the music industry to become a true organ of news. And It Don't Stop is essential reading. It captures the extraordinary eruptions of word, image and sound that Hip Hop inspired and, in itself, continues the process of self-definition and community empowerment that has characterized the movement from the earliest days to the present. Raquel Cepeda knew how to pick them. The articles she has chosen are a distillation of the significant events, personalities, conflicts and philosophies that together shape the revolutionary impact of Hip Hop on the world."
Henry Chalfant, co-author of Spray Can Art
"An irresistible compilation of the most stylish prose and revelatory interviews of the last twenty-five years on Hip Hop, And It Don't Stop is required reading for any serious devotee of contemporary urban culture. Raquel Cepeda places Hip Hop journalism in a historical framework: we not only discover how writing styles have changed over the years, but we also learn how the stakes in writing about Hip Hop have transformed alongside the music and culture. It's a glorious reminder of how influential journalists have been, and continue to be, in helping to shape and create this thing we call Hip Hop."
Jason King, Associate Chair, The Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, New York Univer
