Search -
All about the Beat: Why Hip-Hop Can't Save Black America
All about the Beat Why HipHop Can't Save Black America Author:John McWhorter The bestselling commentator, hailed for his frank and fearless arguments on race, imparts a scathing look at the hypocrisy of hip-hop?and why its popularity proves that black America must overhaul its politics. — One of the most outspoken voices in America?s cultural dialogues, John McWhorter can always be counted on to provide provocative... more » viewpoints steeped in scholarly savvy. Now he turns his formidable intellect to the topic of hip-hop music and culture, smashing the claims that hip-hop is politically valuable because it delivers the only ?real? portrayal of black society.
In this measured, impassioned work, McWhorter delves into the rhythms of hip-hop, analyzing its content and celebrating its artistry and craftsmanship. But at the same time he points out that hip-hop is, at its core, simply music, and takes issue with those who celebrate hip-hop as the beginning of a new civil rights program and inflate the lyrics with a kind of radical chic. In a power vacuum, this often offensive and destructive music has become a leading voice of black America, and McWhorter stridently calls for a renewed sense of purpose and pride in black communities.
Joining the ranks of Russell Simmons and others who have called for a deeper investigation of hip-hop?s role in black culture, McWhorter?s All About the Beat is a spectacular polemic that takes the debate in a seismically new direction.« less