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jvsiskey's review against another edition
5.0
Great book about a fascinating subject. I've read at least 10-15 books about hip hop and this is my favorite. I only wish the author would write a sequel covering the last 10-12 years.
kevinmcfaul's review against another edition
5.0
You don't know, now you know.
So much detail into the early days including Radio which was fantastic.
So much detail into the early days including Radio which was fantastic.
chichi27's review against another edition
4.0
Great history of hip hop told from the business side of things. My only complaint is that there is so much more Charnas could have tackled, but the book is already 650 pages.
miketwomey's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book. Not just a history of how different acts got started, but the spread of hip-hop across the country, and the fight to get it on to the radio, on MTV, into the stores. Great read.
kevinsmokler's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
Second time reading it, first time really appreciating what a modern classic it is.
This 639 page history of the business of hip hop contains not a single wasted sentence and a cast of characters so beautiful and glorious. only Pultizer level reporting could tell their story this cleanly and still be an absolute pleasure to read.
Read it if you love hip-hop, obviously. But read it if you just love a great American history told in the body of great novel, like something E.L Doctorow would throw down. This one's real though. And we have been living in the story told here and the New World it created since.
This 639 page history of the business of hip hop contains not a single wasted sentence and a cast of characters so beautiful and glorious. only Pultizer level reporting could tell their story this cleanly and still be an absolute pleasure to read.
Read it if you love hip-hop, obviously. But read it if you just love a great American history told in the body of great novel, like something E.L Doctorow would throw down. This one's real though. And we have been living in the story told here and the New World it created since.
kojobaffoe's review against another edition
5.0
Most of the other hip hop books touch on the business side but primarily focus on the birth, growth and evolution of the culture. The Big Payback lives up to its name, delving into how hip hop influenced radio, the record industry, brand endorsements, etc. It gives deeper insight into the people who were involved and does not shy away from speaking the negative as well as the positive. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The subject matter is extremely broad and, as a result, there will always be things that are missing. Dan Charnas took on a mammoth task and executed exceedingly well.
sarahjsnider's review against another edition
4.0
Certainly the best-researched book on hip-hop I've read (pro tip: stay away from anything labeled "oral history"--bound to be full of errors and half-recollections). The author did a good job keeping the business dealings as interesting as possible. I was surprised he didn't mention how sampling, specifically the need to pay for samples, changed the industry by changing the music. A must-read for fans.
tallblackguy's review against another edition
4.0
All the other reviews had it right; great for the first 500 pages, and then the later developments of JayZ and Rocafella took over.
What I don't get is how a book of this magnitude, focusing on the business of hip-hop, completely ignored Rawkus Records, a mainstay in indie rap for almost ten years. A label that brought us Pharoahe Monch, Mos Def, and others, isn't even MENTIONED. And the way they plummeted would be VERY interesting reading, but they're not even mentioned. Def Jux' omission is a bit less critical, but still key to understanding the move to indie hiphop in the 90s-2000s. I really enjoyed the book, but those things stood out for me.
What I don't get is how a book of this magnitude, focusing on the business of hip-hop, completely ignored Rawkus Records, a mainstay in indie rap for almost ten years. A label that brought us Pharoahe Monch, Mos Def, and others, isn't even MENTIONED. And the way they plummeted would be VERY interesting reading, but they're not even mentioned. Def Jux' omission is a bit less critical, but still key to understanding the move to indie hiphop in the 90s-2000s. I really enjoyed the book, but those things stood out for me.