This guide will help you find resources available through the Clarion University Libraries to research the subject of hip-hop.
Compiled and Maintained by Corene Glotfelty
Books
The books listed in this section are available in Carlson Library. They were found by searching the LC subject headings Hip-hop and Rap (Music) in PILOT, the Libraries' online catalog. The heading Hip-hop addresses hip-hop culture. The heading Rap (Music) points to rap and hip-hop music sources. However, since hip-hop culture has much of its roots in rap music, information about the foundations of hip-hop culture and concepts can also be found here. The LC subject headings listed for each book describe the main topics discussed within the book. Before you come to the library to use these items, you should check your needed titles in PILOT to make sure that they are not already checked out.
Asante, M. K. (2008). It's bigger than hip-hop: The rise of the post-hip-hop generation. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - E185.61 .A725 2008
LC Subject Headings:
African Americans - Social conditions
African Americans - Intellectual life
African Americans in popular culture
African Americans - Race identity
Popular Culture - United States
Hip-Hop - United States
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Music - Social aspects - United States
African American youth - Attitudes
Baker, H. A. (1993). Black studies, rap, and the academy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - E184.7 .B3 1993
LC Subject Headings:
African Americans - Study and teaching (Higher)
African Americans - Education
Popular culture - United States
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Boyd, T. (2003). Young, Black, rich and famous: The rise of the NBA, the hip hop invasion, and the transformation of American culture. New York: Doubleday.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - GV889.26 .B69 2003
LC Subject Headings:
Basketball - Social aspects - United States
Hip-hop - Social aspects - United States
African American basketball players - Social life and customs
United States - race relations
Bradley, A. (2009). Book of rhymes: The poetics of hip hop. New York: Basic Civitas Books.
Location: In Process, Not yet available (Check catalog to check on availability)
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Rap (Music) - Texts
Chang, J. (2005). Can't stop, won't stop: A history of the hip-hop generation. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3531 .C5 2005
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Hip-hop
Music - Social aspects
Chang, J. (2006). Total chaos: The art and aesthetics of hip-hop. New York: Basic Civitas Books.
Location: Carlson Library Level 2 - NX456.5 .H57 T68 2006
LC Subject Headings:
Hip-hop
Cheney, C. L. (2005). Brothers gonna work it out: Sexual politics in the golden age of rap nationalism. New York: New York University Press.
Location: Douglass Collection - Carlson Library Level A - ML3918 .R37 C54 2005
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - Political aspects - United States
African American men - Attitudes
Masculinity - United States
Sex role - United States
Black nationalism - United States - History
Cobb, W. J. (2008). To the break of dawn: A freestyle on the hip hop aesthetic. New York: University Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3918 .R37 C63 2008
LC Subject Headings:
Hip-hop
Coleman, B. (2007). Check the technique: Liner notes for hip-hop junkies. New York: Villard.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3531 .C65 2007
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Rap musicians - United States
Dowdy, M. (2007). American political poetry in the 21st century. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Location: Carlson Library Level 2 - PS310 .P6 D69 2007
LC Subject Headings:
Political poetry, American - History and criticism
Hip-hop - Influence
American poetry - 21st century - History and criticism
American poetry - 20th century - History and criticism
Politics and literature - United States - History - 21st
century
Politics and literature - United States - History - 20th
century
Dyson, Michael E. (2007). Know what I mean?: Reflections on hip-hop. New York: Basic Civitas Books.
Location: Browsing Collection - Carlson Library Level 1 - ML3531 .D95 2007
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Hip-hop
Eleveld, M. (2003). Spoken word revolution: Slam, hip-hop and the poetry of a new generation. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks MediaFusion.
Location: Carlson Library Level 2 - PS615 .S65 2003
LC Subject Headings:
American poetry - 20th century
Performance art - United States
American poetry - 21st century
Oral interpretation of poetry
Hip-hop - Poetry
Sound poetry
Fricke, J. (2002). Yes, yes y'all: The Experience Music Project oral history of hip-hop's first decade. Cambridge, MA: DaCapo Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3531 .F75 2002
LC Subject Headings:
Hip-hop - United States
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Rap musicians - Interviews
George, N. (1998). Hip hop America. New York: Penguin Books.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3531 .G46 1999
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Hip-hop - United States
Popular culture - United States
Music - Social aspects - United States
Hill, M. C. (2009). Beats, rhymes, and classroom life: Hip-hop pedagogy and the politics of identity. New York: Teachers College Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - LC5131 .H45 2009
LC Subject Headings:
Education, Urban - United States - Sociological aspects
Hip-hop - United States - Influence
Literature - Study and teaching (Secondary) - United States
Huntington, C. S. (2007). Hip-hop dance: Meanings and messages. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland and Co.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - GV1796 .H57 H86 2007
LC Subject Headings:
Hip-hop dance
Hip-hop dance - Social aspects
Jall, E. (2009). War child: A child soldier's story. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Location: Browsing Collection - Carlson Library Level 1 - DT157.672 .J35 2009
LC Subject Headings:
Jal, Emmanuel - Childhood and youth
Child soldiers - Sudan - Biography
Rap musicians - Biography
Political activists - Biography
Sudan - History - Civil War, 1983-2005 - Personal narratives
Sudan - History - Civil War, 1983-2005 - Children - Biography
Sudan - History - Civil War, 1983-2005 - Refugees - Biography
Jasper, K. & Womack, Y. (Eds.). (2007). Beats, rhymes & life: What we love and hate about hip-hop. New York: Harlem Moon/Broadway Books.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - E185.86 .B3775 2007
LC Subject Headings:
Hip-hop
Rap (Music)
African American youth - Intellectual life
African Americans - Intellectual life
African American youth - Social conditions
African Americans - Social conditions
Rap musicians - United States - Interviews
Interviews - United States
United States - Intellectual life
United States - Social conditions - 1980-
Kitwana, B. (2002). The hip hop generation: Young Blacks and the crisis in African American culture. New York: Basic Civitas Books.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - E185.86 .K58 2003
LC Subject Headings:
African American youth - Social life and customs
African American youth - Social conditions
Hip-hop
United States - Social life and customs - 1971 -
United States - Social conditions - 1980 -
Kitwana, B. (2005). Why white kids love hip-hop. Wangstas, wigger, wannabes, and the new reality of race in America. New York: Basic Civitas Books.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3531 .K58 2006
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Rap (Music) - Political aspects - United States
Music and race
Mitchell, T. (2001). Global noise: Rap and hip-hop outside the USA. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3531 .G56 2001
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Hip-hop
Myrie, R. (2008). Don't rhyme for the sake of riddlin': The authorized story of Public Enemy. New York: Canongate Books.
Location: In Process, Not yet available (Check catalog to check on availability)
LC Subject Headings:
Public Enemy (Musical group)
Rap musicians - United States - Biography
Ogbar, J.O.G. (2007). Hip-hop revolution: The culture and politics of rap. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3918 .R37 O33 2007
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - Social aspects
Rap (Music) - Political aspects
Hip-hop
Osumare, H. (2007). Africanist aesthetic in global hip-hop: Power moves. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3918 .R37 O88 2008
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - Social aspects
Rap (Music) - Political aspects
Hip-hop - Influence
Intercultural communication
Perry, I. (2004). Prophets of the hood: Politics and poetics in hip hop. Durham: Duke University Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3531 .P47 2004
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Rap (Music) - Political aspects
Hip-hop-Social aspects
Pough, G. D. (2007). Home girls make some noise: Hip-hop feminism anthology. Mira Loma, CA: Parker Publishing.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - HQ1111 .H66 2007
LC Subject Headings:
Feminism
Hip Hop
Price, E. G. (2006). Hip hop culture. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3531 .P75 2006
LC Subject Headings:
Hip-hop
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Popular culture
Rap musicians
Music - Social aspects
Quinn, E. (2005). Nuthin' but a "G" thang: The culture and commerce of gangsta rap. New York: Columbia University Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3531 .Q56 2005
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Reeves, M. (2008). Somebody scream!: Rap music's rise to prominence in the aftershock of Black power. New York: Faber and Faber.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3531 .R44 2008
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Ro, R. (1996). Gangsta: Merchandizing the rhymes of violence. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3531 .R6 1996
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Hip-hop - United States
Gangs - United States
Popular culture - United States
Music - Social aspects - United States
Ro, R. (2007). Dr. Dre: The Biography. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML420 .D78 R6 2007
LC Subject Headings:
Dr. Dre, 1965 -
N.W.A. (Musical group)
Rap musicians - United States - Biography
Rap (Music)
Rose, T. (2008). The hip hop wars: What we talk about when we talk about hip hop - and why it matters. New York: BasicCivitas.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - HN59.2 .R68 2008
LC Subject Headings:
Hip-hop - Social aspects - United States
Rap (Music) - Social aspects - United States
Social change - United States
Subculture - United States
African Americans - Social conditions
United States - Social conditions
Sexton, A. (Ed.) (1995). Rap on rap: Straight-up talk on hip-hop culture. New York: Delta.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3531 .R35 1995
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Sharpley-Whiting, T. D. (2007). Pimps up, ho's down: Hip hop's hold on young black women. New York: New York University Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - E185.86 .S515 2007
LC Subject Headings:
African American women - Social conditions
Young women - United States - Social conditions
Hip-hop - Social aspects - United States
Sex role - Political aspects - United States
Sexism - United States
African American women - Psychology
Young women - United States - Psychology
African American women - Interviews
Young women - United States - Interviews
United States - Social conditions - 1980-
Tanz, J. (2007). Other people's property: A shadow history of hip-hop in white America. New York: Bloomsbury.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - E184 .A1 T36 2007
LC Subject Headings:
Tanz, Jason - Travel - United States
Whites - United States - Attitudes
Youth - United States - Attitudes
Hip-hop
Rap (Music)
Youth - United States - Social life and customs
United States - Race relations
United States - Description and travel
United States - Social life and customs - 1971 -
Toop, D. (1984). The rap attack: African jive to New York hip hop. Boston: South End Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3556 .T66 1984
LC Subject Headings:
African Americans - New York (State) -
New York - Music - History and criticism
African American dance - New York (State) - New York
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Popular culture - New York (State) - New York
Watkins, S. C. (1998). Representing: Hip-hop culture and the production of Black cinema. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - PN1995.9 .N4 W38 1998
LC Subject Headings:
African Americans in motion pictures
African American motion picture producers and directors
Hip-hop
Winfield, B. H. & Davidson, S. (Eds.). (1998). Bleep!: Censoring rock and rap music. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Location: Carlson Library Level 3 - ML3534 .B632 1998
LC Subject Headings:
Rock music - Censorship - United States
Rap (Music) - Censorship - United States
Music - Social aspects - United States
Electronic Books
To access these e-books, look up the desired book title in PILOT, Libraries' online catalog and use the web link in the full record to pull up the entire online book in NetLibrary. You should be able to access these from off-campus by supplying your login information when prompted.
(Click here for information about logging in to the Libraries from off-campus.)
PILOT is available from the Research Resources on the Libraries' Home page.
Boyd, T. (2002). The new H.N.I.C.: The death of civil rights and the reign of hip hop. New York: New York University Press.
Location: NetLibrary
LC Subject Headings:
Hip-hop
African American youth - Social life and customs
African American youth - Social conditions
African American youth - Political activity
African Americans - Civil rights
African Americans - Intellectual life - 20th century
African Americans - Social conditions - 1975 -
United States - Social life and customs - 1971 -
United States - Social conditions - 1980-
United States - Race relations
Ginwright, S. (2004). Black in school: Afrocentric reform, urban youth and the promise of hip-hop culture. New York: Teacher's College Press.
Location: NetLibrary
LC Subject Headings:
African Americans - Education
Afrocentrism - United States
African Americans - Race identity
Hip-hop
Kato, M. (2007). From kung fu to hip hop: Globalization, revolution, and popular culture. Albany: University of New York Press.
Location: NetLibrary
LC Subject Headings:
Lee, Bruce, 1940-1973
Hendrix, Jimi
Popular culture
Mass media and culture
Mass media - Social aspects
Kung fu
Hip-hop
Globalization
Rahn, J. (2002). Painting without permission: Hip-hop graffiti subculture. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey.
Location: NetLibrary
LC Subject Headings:
Graffiti - Quebec (Province) - Montreal
Hip-hop - Quebec (Province) - Montreal
Young artists - Quebec (Province) - Montreal - Interviews
Rose, T. (1994). Black noise: Rap music and Black culture in contemporary America. Hanover, N.H.: University Press of New England.
Location: NetLibrary
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
African Americans - Music - History and criticism
Popular culture - United States
Schloss, J. G. (2009). Foundation: B-boys, b-girls, and hip-hop culture in New York. New York: Oxford University Press.
Location: NetLibrary
LC Subject Headings:
Hip-hop dance - New York (State) - New York
Hip-hop - New York (State) - New York
Encyclopedias
These items are reserved for in-library use only.
Bynoe, Y. (2006). Encyclopedia of rap and hip-hop culture. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Location: Carlson Library Reference Collection - Level 1 - ML102 .R27 B96 2006
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - Encyclopedias
Hip-hop - Encyclopedias
Hess, M. (Ed.). (2007). Icons of hip hop: An encyclopedia of the movement, music, and culture. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Location: Carlson Library Reference Collection - Level 1 - ML394 .I26 2007
LC Subject Headings:
Rap musicians - Biography
Turntablists - Biography
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Hip-hop
Media
Callender, A. (2007). Marketplace. Rhyme pays: Hip-hop and the marketing of cool. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities & Sciences.
Location: Carlson Library Level A - Media - HD69 .B7 R49 2004
LC Subject Headings:
Hip-hop - Economic aspects
Branding (Marketing)
Video recordings for the hearing impaired
Dyson, M. E. (1995). Material witness: Race, identity and the politics of gangsta rap. Northampton, MA: The Media Education Foundation.
Location: Carlson Library Level A - Media - E185.625 .M38 1995
LC Subject Headings:
African Americans - Race identity
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
African Americans - Social conditions - 1975-
(2005). Flipping the script: Critical thinking in a hip-hop world. San Francisco, CA: Just Think.
Location: Carlson Library Level A - Media - ML3531 .F55 2005
LC Subject Headings:
Hip-hop - Study and teaching
Critical thinking - Study and teaching
Arts - Study and teaching
Music - Instruction and study
Interdisciplinary approach in education
Middle schools - Curricula
High schools - Curricula
Hurt, B. (2006). Hip-hop: Beyond beats and rhymes. Northampton, MA: The Media Education Foundation.
Location: Carlson Library Level A - Media - ML3531 .H57 2006
LC Subject Headings:
Rap (Music) - History and criticism
Hip-hop - United States
African American men - Attitudes
Masculinity in music
Sexism in music
Masculinity in popular culture - United States
Finding Additional Books and Media Titles of Interest
E-Z Borrow - The E-Z Borrow Service, a form of direct borrowing, allows Clarion University students and employees to search the online catalogs of many other University and College libraries throughout the State of Pennsylvania and borrow items. Try running a search on hip-hop in E-Z Borrow. Since requested items must be picked up at the circulation desk at either the Carlson Library or the Suhr Library (on the Venango campus), the E-Z Borrow option is not suitable for most distance education students. However, distance education students can still use E-Z Borrow to identify items of interest that can then be requested through ILLiad, the Libraries' InterLibrary Loan service.
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Click here to view an E-Z Borrow tutorial (PowerPoint format)
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Click here to view an E-Z Borrow tutorial (PDF format)
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Click here to watch a video tutorial about ILLiad, the Libraries' InterLibrary Loan Service.
UBorrow - Similar to E-Z Borrow, UBorrow is a direct borrowing service made up of the Universities within the PaSSHE (Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education). Like E-Z Borrow, it is not suitable for the borrowing needs of most distance education students.
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Click here to view a UBorrow tutorial (PowerPoint format)
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Click here to view a UBorrow tutorial (PDF format)
WorldCat - The WorldCat database can be searched by keyword to identify hip-hop book and media titles of interest. After identifying useful items, users can check PILOT, the Libraries' online catalog for local availability. If the items are not available locally, E-Z Borrow, UBorrow, or ILLiad (Clarion University's InterLibrary Loan service) can be used to request the items.
Periodical Articles
To access recent periodical (magazine, journal) articles on hip-hop, try searches in the following databases. You must be a student or employee of Clarion University to access these databases from off-campus computers. Click here for information about your library log-in for off-campus access. No password is needed to access these databases from University Library, computer lab, or office computers.
Most of the databases below can be searched by subject. Some can only be searched by general keyword. Suggested subject or keyword terminology for hip-hop research is listed below for each database.
Your search results will usually be a combination of citations to full text articles (that you can immediately access online) and articles with citations and abstracts (summaries) only.
Click here to watch a video tutorial on using the Journals & Magazines A-Z List -- the tool used to find out if Clarion has access to the article(s) you need.
Please don't hesitate to contact a reference librarian for assistance in searching these databases. You may stop by the Reference desk on Level 1 of Carlson Library, call the reference desk at 814-393-2490, or go to the Ask A Librarian or Libraries' Home pages to send email or start a live chat session with a reference librarian. Distance education students may go to the Libraries' Distance Education page via the Library Services on the Libraries' Home page for a toll-free phone number to the Libraries.
Subject Search Terminology:
Hip-hop
Rap (Music)
African American arts (broader term)
Subject Search Terminology:
Hip-hop
Hip-hop in art
Hip-hop in motion pictures
Rap music
Rap musicians
Subject Search Terminology:
Hip-hop
Rap music
Rap musicians
Although this database supports subject searching, none specifically describe hip-hop music or culture. It is suggested that you do general keyword searches for hip-hop and/or rap music in this database for the best results.
JSTOR
This database cannot be searched by subject heading, so you should do general keyword searches for hip-hop and/or rap music for the best results.
Subject Search Terminology:
Hip-hop
Rap (Music)
Lexis-Nexis
This database cannot be searched by subject heading, but you can search do general keyword searches for hip-hop and/or rap music in the NEWS section of the database to find newspaper and newswire articles.
Subject Search Terminology:
African-American culture
African-American music styles
African-American performers
Suggested Keyword Search Terminology:
Hip-hop
Rap music
Subject Search Terminology:
African-American arts
Hip-hop
Rap (Music)
Rap musicians
Subject Search Terminology:
Hip-hop culture
Rap music
Suggested Keyword Search Terminology:
Hip-hop
Rap music
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Subject Search Terminology:
Hip-hop
Rap music
Rap musicians
Although this database supports subject searching, none specifically describe hip-hop music or culture. It is suggested that you do general keyword searches for hip-hop and/or rap music in this database for the best results.
Religion and Philosophy Collection
Subject Search Terminology:
Hip-hop
Rap music
Rap musicians
Subject Search Terminology:
Rap (Music)
Suggested Keyword Search Terminology:
Hip-hop
Subject Search Terminology:
Hip-hop
Rap (Music)
Rap musicians
Other Helpful Resources
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
Do a search on "hip-hop" in this database to get a variety of "viewpoint papers" on many topics related to hip-hop. You must be a student or employee of Clarion University to access this database from off-campus computers. Click here for information about your library log-in for off-campus access.
Last updated: October, 2009
