Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists

Paperback; 352 pages; 100 black and white photos. 'Flipping through the 350 pages, you are reminded time and time again of how far rap has changed from its days as a way for Bronx kids to pass the time. For example, reading Kool Herc's list of top old school DJs or the roll call of acts that used two DJs makes you yearn for the moment when DJs were an essential, integrated part of the hip hop experience, and not isolated into the snobbish turntablist set. It's not just the DJ memorials that give you cause for reflection. Reliving classic emcee battles seems quaint compared to the significantly hotter water rappers find themselves in today. And perusing milestones such as the first acts signed to major labels or early examples of hip-hop cinema are a valuable lesson for a generation that has grown up with rap as the cultural norm as its influence has spread into nearly facet of global pop culture.



What the Ego Trip gang has produced . . . would probably be the first book I'd include in a hip hop time capsule. This may be a trip down memory lane for some, a history lesson for others, but a vital chronicle of hip hop for all.' - Anthony Lamar Rucker / All Things Deep