![]() ![]() The book reads like a mixtape of who’s who but instead of sound recordings, we get drawings of the labels of the song titles, and text bubbles of performers MC-ing with their rap lyrics. There is a clear love and charm to Piskor’s telling of this story. We see the early days of Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin of Def Jam, and the trickery of the early days of Afrika Bambaataa. ![]() ![]() In spite of the large cast of characters, there is a clear story arc that traces ingenuity, commercial interests and tenacity of the people involved through the various routes and paths to create works for an audience. This large format comic strip compiles vignettes that cover the inception of this major American musical form (since rock ‘n roll) and the equally important cultural scene with block parties in the Bronx, the relationship between artists and record stores, radio airplay, showmanship and ever larger speakers. Hip Hop Family Tree, Volume 1 sinuously traces and chronicles the cultural revolution of hip hop in New York starting in the mid-1970s. ![]()
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