All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap and Hip-Hop

Rating:
Summary: Very Nicely Put Together
Review: Just to reiterate what was mentioned earlier, this book goes nicely in depth, going back to originating artists as well as current mainstream as well as underground heavy hitters. I have alot of fun looking through this guide. Any big Hiphop fan should love this book. There were a few artists I felt should definitely have been included in the book, but were not. However, there was a good effort put into this book.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not good enough.
Review: One would think that a "definitive" guide to hip-hop, with nearly 1,200 entries, would offer info on any rap performer, right? Wrong! The first name I went to look for in this book, the Kottonmouth Kings, were left on the cutting room floor, apparently. I had known almost nothing about this all-white California group and was hoping to tie up some loose ends with a gander into this reference guide, but there was nothing to be found on the KMK whatsoever. Oh well, besides the Kings, pretty much every name in the hip-hop scene is here, and with better-than-average profiles. It does, however, omit certain details I was accustomed to, such as chart action, but that's forgiveable. The book's rating system left a bad taste in my mouth though, for they seem to easily slap a perfect 5-star rating on countless titles, and a near-perfect 4-star rating on almost every other one. This is hardly a respectable system, one in which I do not take to heart or choose what CDs to purchase by. That aside, this guide includes every notable name in the game, including Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Biggie, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Nelly, and it even surprised me with its inclusion of acts like Total Devastation and Swollen Members...wow! I have to take off a point for no pics...especially in a music form infamous for controversial album sleeves and publicity shots, but that's alright. For future reference though, I'm looking forward to opening this book up to page 269 and reading about the Kottonmouth Kings, who are more than worthy to be included in this text.

Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This is one of the best music books I have ever purchased it has reviews on almost every hip hop album ever made for all the Youngsters of the rap game that have no education in hip hop buy this book at once and find something out on Kool DJ Herc-Grandwizard Theodore-Grandmaster Caz the originators if you dont know the Message you dont know rap-Good day

Rating:
Summary: This is the real thing
Review: This is the real kind of rap music, not just the kind you hear on the radio. This book goes into detail not just the mainstream artists of rap, but also underground favorites. It also rates each artists albums out of five stars. It provides a (usually)small biography on the artist as well as who he/her worked with in the past. The book also gives you a well rounded vision of hip-hop in general by showing you where all the different genres of rap originated, and what distinguishes them. Every time I go to buy an album I look it up here first. It is also very recent, going all the way up to the summer of 2003. Overall, well worth your money.