New Castle County Libraries Readers’ Advisory - Summer 2023 Picks

Hip Hop & Other Tunes - A Special Edition of the Readers' Advisory Committee Staff Picks

Updated July 12, 2023
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I am restored : how I lost my religion but found my faith
Lecrae (Musician)
Paper Book
When the challenges you've faced threaten to destroy your life, how do you find your way back to the truths you thought you believed? I Am Restored tells the untold story of how Lecrae's past nearly ruined his future--until he learned that the wounds we carry can have the potential to...
Black girl magic : a poem
Browne, Mahogany L.
Paper Book
Black Girl, they say you ain't 'posed to be here Much of what twenty-first century culture tells black girls is not pretty: Don't wear this; don't smile at that. Don't have an opinion; don't dream big. And most of all, don't love yourself. In response to such destructive ideas...
Can't stop won't stop : a hip-hop history
Chang, Jeff
Paper Book
The American Book Award winner, now completely adapted for a young adult audience! From award-winning author Jeff Chang, Can't Stop Won't Stop is the story of hip-hop, a generation-defining movement and the music that transformed American politics and culture forever....
Contact high : a visual history of hip-hop
Tobak, Vikki
Paper Book
ONE OF AMAZON'S BEST ART & PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS 0F 2018 AN NPR AND PITCHFORK BEST MUSIC BOOK OF 2018 PICK ONE OF TIME'S 25 BEST PHOTOBOOKS OF 2018 NEW YORK TIMES, ASSOCIATED PRESS,WALLSTREET JOURNAL, ROLLING STONE,AND...
Decoded
Jay-Z
Paper Book
Decoded is a book like no other: a collection of lyrics and their meanings that together tell the story of a culture, an art form, a moment in history, and one of the most provocative and successful artists of our time. Praise for Decoded "Compelling . ....
Dilla time : the life and afterlife of J Dilla, the hip-hop producer who reinvented rhythm
Charnas, Dan
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE PEN/JACQUELINE BOGRAD WELD AWARD FOR BIOGRAPHY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "This book is a must for everyone interested in illuminating the idea of unexplainable genius." --QUESTLOVE Equal parts biography,...
God save the queens : the essential history of women in hip-hop
Iandoli, Kathy
Paper Book
An NPR Best Book of the Year "Without God Save the Queens, it is possible that the contributions of dozens of important female hip-hop artists who have sold tens of millions of albums, starred in monumental films, and influenced the direction of the culture would continue to go...
Let love rule
Kravitz, Lenny
Paper Book
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "I see my story as a suite of songs that have a magical connection." Let Love Rule is a work of deep reflection. Lenny Kravitz looks back at his life with candor, self-scrutiny, and humor. "My life is all...
A little devil in America : notes in praise of black performance
Abdurraqib, Hanif
Paper Book
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST * A sweeping, genre-bending "masterpiece" (Minneapolis Star Tribune) exploring Black art, music, and culture in all their glory and complexity--from Soul Train, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Whitney...
Major labels : a history of popular music in seven genres
Sanneh, Kelefa
Paper Book
One of Oprah Daily's 20 Favorite Books of 2021 * Selected as one of Pitchfork's Best Music Books of the Year "One of the best books of its kind in decades." --The Wall Street Journal An epic achievement and a huge delight, the entire history of popular...
More myself : a journey
Keys, Alicia
Paper Book
An intimate, revealing look at one artist's journey from self-censorship to full expression As one of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Alicia Keys has enraptured the globe with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions....
Music is history
Questlove
Paper Book
In Music Is History, bestselling author and Sundance award-winning director Questlove harnesses his encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and his deep curiosity about history to examine America over the past fifty years. Choosing one essential track from each year, Questlove unpacks each...
On the come up
Thomas, Angie
Paper Book
The YA love letter to hip-hop--streaming on Paramount+ September 23, 2022! Starring Sanaa Lathan (in her directorial debut), Jamila C. Gray, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Lil Yachty, Method Man, Mike Epps, GaTa (Davionte Ganter), Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Titus Makin Jr.,...
Shine bright : a very personal history of black women in pop
Smith, Danyel
Paper Book
American pop music is arguably this country's greatest cultural contribution to the world, and its singular voice and virtuosity were created by a shining thread of Black women geniuses stretching back to the country's founding. This is their surprising, heartbreaking, soaring story--from ...

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