Most of time , Rappers or any of the Hip-Hop Impresarios get a bad RAP! Misunderstood is what I like to call it!.In this book, Dr Bailey lays the foundaton to introduce readers to what is an unbias account of sean carter! Even though, it was not biography in the least, it was a well written essay documenting an intricate portion of the Hi-hop culture

If you're looking for a biography on Jay-Z, the King of Hip Hop, this isn't the place for you. This is a collections of essays that analyze his impact on the industry and more.But it was interesting!! ( )

This book is not what I expected at all. It is more a scholarly essay on Jay-z's impact on the world of hip-hop. It would have been more interesting if it told more about his life. I found it boring. ( )

Jay-Z on Hip Hop's Philosopher King is not what you expect. It is long winded at time's and not that much fun to read. I thought that this book would have been about Jay-Z him self. ( )

This book, as others have mentioned, is a collection of essays examining the growth and impact of hip-hop on the sociological state of the African-American community. The focus of the work is on Jay-Z as the book indicates that his growth, impact, and presence as a musical artist is the most reflective of the state of the black community. The essayists are all acknowledged scholars with thoughtful approaches to the wider-picture as reflected through the narrow lens of Jay-Z's music.

The essays presented within are well-written and well-argued. The mixture of viewpoints as to the positive/negative influence of Jay-Z and hip-hop is what really lends credence to the work. Each essay pulls from a strong body of research and uses supporting sources very effectively.

As other reviewers have mentioned, there is some issues with the lack of grammatical editing but that is easy enough to ignore. The biggest issue that plagues the collection is the same issue that plagues any collection attempting to encapsulate cultural studies through focusing on popular culture. In this case, the music of Jay-Z, one of the most successful and talented hip-hop artists in the history of the genre, is used to analyze the changes affecting black communities in America and how the lifestyle, lyrics projected in the music are reflective and reactive to those changes. While the writers all present their case efficiently and effectively, the criteria (Jay-Z) they use to formulate their arguments is insufficient and insignificant when tracking such major sociological data.

I found the writing interesting and though several interesting topics were brought up but the work was limited by trying to make the academics marketable. This book might be useful in parts in an academic setting but the narrowness of the work limit its impact. ( )