 | |
Volumes: How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC How to Rap 2: Advanced Flow & Delivery Techniques | |
| Author | Paul Edwards |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Non-fictionhip hop |
| Publisher | Chicago Review Press |
| Published | December 1, 2009 (sequel was published on September 1, 2013) |
| Media type | Print (paperback) |
How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC is a book onhip hop music andrapping by Paul Edwards. It is compiled from interviews with 104 notablerappers who provide insights into how they write and perform their lyrics.[1][2][3]
How to Rap 2: Advanced Flow & Delivery Techniques is a sequel to the book, also onhip hop music andrapping by Paul Edwards. It includes more insights from the interviews done from the first book.[4]
How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC was published byChicago Review Press on December 1, 2009 with a foreword byKool G Rap.[2][5][6]Publishers Weekly states that it “goes into everything from why rappersfreestyle to the challenges of collaboration in hip-hop”,[7] andLibrary Journal says, "instruction ranges over selecting topics and form, editing, rhyming techniques, putting words to music, collaborating, vocal techniques, studio tips, and performance".[2]
How to Rap 2: Advanced Flow & Delivery Techniques was also published byChicago Review Press on September 1, 2013 with a foreword byGift of Gab ofBlackalicious.[4][8] In the sequel, reviewers note that, "Edwards asks advanced wordsmiths for advice on rhythm, melody, pitch, timing, enunciation, percussion, playing characters, rhyme schemes, and rhyme patterns."[9]
How to Rap is published in the UK byRandom House on theirVirgin Books imprint.[10] This edition is also published byRandom House in Australia.[11] It was translated and published in Japanese by P-Vine Books in 2011[12] (part ofP-Vine Records) and translated and published in Korean by Hans Media, also in 2011.[13]
The book is compiled from interviews with rappers; the interviews comprise the majority of the book's content.[2] The following artists were interviewed by the author:[3][6]
It also includes information on other artists, who are commented on by the interviewed artists, including:[3][6]
The book was positively received by critics and press outlets.[14]Library Journal says it is, “filled with real tools and overflowing with inspiration… a good read even for nonartists interested in learning more about hip-hop creativity, personalities, and history, this offers insights into music and poetry. Highly recommended,”[2]Hip Hop Connection called it “a complete guide to the art and craft of the MC, anyone who's serious about becoming a rapper should read this first… a vital and vibrant expose of a much misunderstood art form,”[14] and Campus Circle give it a “Grade: A+”.[15]
XXL magazine said "over 100 rappers have offered their insight on the artform for aspiring wordsmiths",[16] whileYale University Press'sAnthology of Rap referred toHow to Rap's "rich array of interviews with old school and new school artists,"[17] andOxford University Press'sHow to Fix Copyright recommendedHow to Rap for a good "general" overview.[18]
Dana Gioia, poet and former chairman of theNational Endowment for the Arts wrote, “How To Rap marks a cultural coming-of-age forHip-Hop… [it] is the first comprehensive poetics of this new literary form. …Edwards has made his bid to become theAristotle ofHip-Hoppoetics”.[14]
It also received positive comments fromhip-hop journalists and authors such asKembrew McLeod, Dan LeRoy, Alex Ogg, Mickey Hess, Russell Potter, andPancho McFarland,[14] and from artists such asGeorgia Anne Muldrow, Egon ofStones Throw Records, Badru Umi, andSpeech ofArrested Development.[14]
In a review of theKanye West albumYeezus, news outletThe Daily Beast praised the book, saying: "In Paul Edwards’s comprehensive tomeHow to Rap, the author surveyed a plethora of rap emcees—104, to be exact—in order to demystify the rap process."[19]