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The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop

by Carole Boston Weatherford

Rap’s roots in a wider cultural story

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Print BookAvailable Hardcover $18.12 USD$30.21 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Booklist starred review

    Starred review praising the book’s depiction of rap and hip-hop culture.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Rap’s roots in a wider cultural story

Carole Boston Weatherford traces hip-hop’s foundations across forms of storytelling, music, dance, and visual art. Folktales, spirituals, poetry, James Brown’s showmanship, graffiti, and break dancing appear as elements in the culture’s development, connecting rap to a broader creative inheritance. Rhyming verse gives the history a verse-based shape, while Frank Morrison’s illustrations accompany the account. The book presents hip-hop as both a musical art form and a way of sharing stories, hopes, and fears, with roots that reach back before the early DJs named in the description.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Children ages 4–8 exploring rap and hip-hop history
  • Young readers interested in music, poetry, dance, or graffiti art
  • Adults seeking an illustrated introduction to hip-hop culture to share with children

Themes

Hip-hop history and cultural rootsStorytelling and self-expressionMusic, dance, and visual art

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"Carole Boston Weatherford, once again, delivers a resounding testament and reminder, that hip-hop is a flavorful slice of a larger cultural cake. And to be hip-hop-to truly be it-we must remember that we are also funk, jazz, soul, folktale, and poetry. We must remember that . . . we are who we are!" -Jason Reynolds, New York Times best-selling author

"Starting with its attention-getting cover, this picture book does an excellent job of capturing the essence of rap . . . This tribute to hip hop culture will appeal to a wide audience, and practically demands multiple readings." ―Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

"No way around it, this book is supa-dupa fly, with lush illustrations anchored in signature hip-hop iconography for the future of the global hip-hop nation." ―Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

"With short, rhyming lines and dramatic portraits of performers, the creative team behind How Sweet the Sound: The Story of Amazing Grace offers a dynamic introduction to hip-hop. . . . This artful introduction to one of the most influential cultural movements of the 20th century pulses with the energy and rhythm of its subject." ―Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

Explore the roots of rap in this stunning, rhyming, triple-timing book, now available as a board book!

A generation voicing
stories, hopes, and fears
founds a hip-hop nation.
Say holler if you hear.

The roots of rap and the history of hip-hop have origins that precede DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash. Kids will learn about how it evolved from folktales, spirituals, and poetry to the showmanship of James Brown, to the culture of graffiti art and break dancing that created the art form and gave birth to the musical artists we know today. Written in lyrical rhythm by award-winning author and poet Carole Boston Weatherford and complete with flowing, vibrant illustrations by Frank Morrison, this book beautifully illustrates how hip-hop is a language spoken the whole world 'round.
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Customer reviews

M
AlbakiReads
Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

T
AlbakiReads
Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

O
AlbakiReads
Olivia

Smooth.