New Book! “Hip Hop Raised Me” by DJ Semtex + Foreword by Chuck D (Thames & Hudson)

Out Now! For the first time in paperback, the definitive book on forty years of the music culture that revolutionized the world!

$40.00 | Paperback | 448 pages | 1,000+ illustrations in color and b&w | ISBN: 9780500293959

Available on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com & indiebound.org

Public Enemy bring the noise to Manchester, Uk’s Apollo Theatre in 1988. © Normski

Dr. Dre captured live on stage in London behind the infamous yellow crime-scene tape.© Normski

From its origins in the block parties of the Bronx in the 1970s to its status today as a global multi-billion dollar industry, from the voice of disaffected urban America to a President-electing powerbase, from Grandmaster Flash to Jay-Z, Hip Hop is nothing less than a phenomenon. Not just the most important musical genre of the past four decades, Hip Hop has transcended its origins to impact on every aspect of 21st-century culture. Today Dr Dre is at the vanguard of the music industry’s digital revolution, Kanye West is courted by the fashion industry and makes front page news, while Kendrick Lamar maintains Hip Hop’s legacy as a voice for the voiceless—for the Ferguson riots generation—in the seething socio-political commentary contained within his lyrics.

Written by DJ Semtex, host of the UK’s premier Hip Hop show on BBC Radio 1Xtra,HIP HOP RAISED ME is the definitive illustrated book on the essence, experience and energy of Hip Hop. This unique volume traces the characteristics and influence of Hip Hop, from its very beginnings to its breakthrough into the mainstream and the advent of gangsta rap in the late 80s, to the impact of contemporary artists and the global industry that is Hip Hop today. With his encyclopedic knowledge of the genre and his personal relationships with many of the most significant names in Hip Hop, DJ Semtex provides readers with the ultimate insider’s perspective.

Organized thematically, HIP HOP RAISED ME features the many extensive interviews DJ Semtex has conducted from the 1990s to today, conveying the authentic voices of a huge roster of artists including Eminem, the Wu-Tang Clan, Jay-Z, Public Enemy, Kanye West, Nas, 50 Cent, Nicky Minaj, Pharrell, Odd Future, Drake and many more.

LL Cool J headlining the Def Jam tour at London’s Hammersmith Odeon in 1987

© Normski

Eminem © Mika

Praise from Reviewers:

“An addictive era-by-era, album-by-album accounting of the last pop-music revolution, with room for a flowchart of Jay-Z’s business interests, a score card of rap beefs, a sneaker endorsement roundup, and essays on international rap and Obama’s relationship with hip-hop. 40 years in, it’s hip-hop’s turn at posterity.” – Chicago Tribune

“Well-written and engaging… The pictures alone are worth the price of entry for this weighty coffee table book [that’s] the perfect Christmas gift for any hip-hop loving friends or family. If you love hip-hop, you’ll love this – whatever era you come from!” – LitViral

“A delightful and comprehensive study of hip-hop [and] a far-reaching analysis of the music and culture. A visual treasure trove…this volume contains over 1,000 photographs, many printed here for the first time. A historical feast, it will be treasured by longtime fans and consulted by interested newcomers.” – Library Journal

“Nearly as big as a world atlas – fitting, given hip hop’s global reach – this volume charts the genre’s 40-year history. Interviews, infographics and hundreds of photos flesh it out.” – San Francisco Chronicle

“Unlike many hip hop books that embrace the patchwork aesthetic of fanzines, this volume treats the genre with a certain graphic elegance and scholarly heft. Text blocks range from historic timelines to in-depth pieces on major stars—Tupac Shakur, N.W.A., Jay-Z, Eminem, Nicki Minaj—while the images alternate between somber portraits, landmark album covers, and edgy memorabilia. At 450 pages, this is the reference book on the genre.” – American Photo

“Semtex has developed the definitive hip-hop retrospective…unpredictable and captivating…loaded with unbelievable detail, research and photos spanning the origins of breakbeat in the early 1970s through the Yeezy shoe drop earlier this year. Hip Hop Raised Me is a must-read for even the casual music fan. It’s a fascinating look at the intersection of American life and the rise, fall and rebirth of the genre. Semtex’s research and care is second to none.” – The Manual

Available on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com & indiebound.org

Pras, Lauryn Hill + Wyclef during rehearsals for an MTV performance. © Eddie Otchere

About the Authors

DJ Semtex hosts the UK’s premier Hip Hop show on BBC Radio 1Xtra every Friday. He has interviewed the most significant names in Hip-Hop, deejayed on every continent, performed on stage with the likes of Nas, Rick Ross, Swizz Beatz and Dizzee Rascal, toured with legends such as the Wu-Tang Clan, and opened for a plethora of artists from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis to De La Soul. DJ Semtex is a seminal figure online, on air and on stage. In September 2014, Semtex (along with Lethal Bizzle, DJ Target, and A.Dot) took part in a special BBC iPlayer version of the classic quiz show “Mastermind” titled “Hip Hop Mastermind,” which he went on to win. DJ Semtex is the co-founder of Nation of Billions and also presents the concert series Arrival in the U.K.

DJ Semtex has launched the “Hip Hop Raised Me” podcast, a weekly series of conversations with some of the most creative people in Hip Hop culture. Download and subscribe to future episodes of the podcast: itunes

Chuck D is one of the most prominent figures in the history of Hip Hop. As the leader of Rap group Public Enemy, he helped create politically and socially conscious music beginning in the mid-1980s.