Philosophy and Hip-Hop

Accessible: The added discussion questions makes the paperback version of this book more engaging and accessible. The author has added several thoughtful discussion questions per chapter, making the book more useful for classrooms but also for independent readers looking to structure their reading and get more out of the experience. Bailey also offers suggestions for further reading and exposure.

Timely: Now more than ever, Hip hop is an incredibly integral part of US pop culture and worth serious consideration. Hip hop is arguably the most pervasive pop music form of the moment and that trend only promises to continue for the foreseeable future. There has been a relative dearth of serious investigation of hip hop and other forms of black artistic expression by philosophers, making this book even more timely and necessary in the field. The author received widespread attention for his Palgrave title The Cultural Impact of Kanye West (the paperback version of which is publishing this September), making this a good time to push more of his work.

Interdisciplinary: This book focuses on philosophy, pop culture, and political resistance. The interdisciplinary approach reflects the complex nature of hip hop itself – its lyrics, history, and position in the culture. The interdisciplinary nature of the book will widen the scope of interested readers beyond philosophers to those interested or specializing in hip hop studies, political science, cultural studies, media studies, American studies, and African American studies, among other areas/disciplines. The book provides various entrance points to those new to hip hop but is also comprehensive and novel enough that it will appeal to scholars who are more familiar with hip hop studies.