Hip Hop Raised Me. It’s a striking title that’s hard not to identify with as a hip hop fan. If you saw this title and instantly became overcome with waves of memories around how hip hop impacted your life, then this book is for you. Written by the legendary DJ Semtex, it’s a goldmine of hip-hop history and iconic imagery. Anyone who’s picked up a copy is sure to be impressed by its striking cover and overall heft (weighing over 6lbs). Despite the age old expression to not judge a work by its exterior, it’s difficult not to get excited before even turning a single page. That said, it’s about what’s on the inside that counts right?
After some iconic imagery of hip-hops legends, the book opens with a foreword from Public Enemy’s Chuck D. It touches on Chuck’s relationship with the UK and more importantly the book’s author DJ Semtex. It’s an intro before the intro, warming readers up before Semtex properly introduces himself. The actual introduction serves to introduce Semtex to the world. Divulging personal details while illustrating the significance and impact that hip hop had throughout his life. From there the book is broken down into chapters, each touching upon a different era or idea, from the birth of hip hop (‘Long Live The DJ’) to iconic rivalries (“What’s Beef”) and everything in between. The chapters are a mix of text and imagery, working together to create a rich experience. As an added bonus the book also contains a wealth of infographics rounding up everything from the list of DMC winners, to rich timelines of notables happenings, to beef and influence diagrams. If you were going to teach a course on hip hop this could be the textbook (and it would be the most interesting text book you’ve ever read). Semtex captures 40 years of hip hop and distills them into a page-turning work that is guaranteed to garner multiple reads.
Whether you’re a hip hop head looking to feel nostalgic, or a fresh fan looking for some real knowledge, Hip Hop Raised Me is the perfect piece. The only thing that may deter some potential buyers is the somewhat heavy price tag; retailing at $65.00 USD (although it’s on sale for $43.30 right now). With that said, this isn’t a grab the Kindle version and read it once type purchase. This is a buy it and display it, keep it out on the coffee table or mantle piece. It’s a lend to a friend or come back to it on a rainy day book. It says, “I love Hip Hop and I want others to know it.” This is one to hold onto, whether it’s to flip through the incredible and iconic images or to relive that piece of history you may have forgotten. You can pick up a copy on Amazon.
