Hip-Hop Is History

Written by Questlove and Ben Greenman

Narrated by Questlove

Recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios in New York City, the audiobook features narration and storytelling by Questlove, who expertly weaves together a rich sonic tapestry of hip-hop tales large and small, well-known and obscure. From hearing “Rapper’s Delight” for the first time in 1979 to directing and producing the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop for the 2023 GRAMMYs, Questlove guides listeners through a musical journey brought to life by Questlove himself.

This program is read by the author.

"From the nature of sampling, lyrics, and how music made the jump from vinyl grooves and mixtapes to streaming, Questlove’s curiosity, intelligence, and natural ability to compel listeners are on full display." —AudioFile (Earphones Award Winner)

"Throughout, Questlove's resonant and impassioned voice serves as our noble guide. "—Booklist

"The opening introduction, in which Questlove describes the stress of putting together a special hip-hop performance for the Grammys had me on the edge of my seat with tension and delight."—The Guardian

This is a book only Questlove could have written: a perceptive and personal reflection on the first half-century of hip-hop.

When hip-hop first emerged in the 1970s, it wasn’t expected to become the cultural force it is today. But for a young Black kid growing up in a musical family in Philadelphia, it was everything. He stayed up late to hear the newest songs on the radio. He saved his money to buy vinyl as soon as it landed. He even started to try to make his own songs. That kid was Questlove, and decades later, he is a six-time Grammy Award–winning musician, an Academy Award–winning filmmaker, a New York Times bestselling author, a producer, an entrepreneur, a cofounder of one of hip-hop’s defining acts (the Roots), and the genre’s unofficial in-house historian.

In this landmark book, Hip-Hop Is History, Questlove skillfully traces the creative and cultural forces that made and shaped hip-hop, highlighting both the forgotten but influential gems and the undeniable chart-topping hits—and weaves it all together with the stories no one else knows. It is at once an intimate, sharply observed story of a cultural revolution and a sweeping, grand theory of the evolution of the great artistic movement of our time. And Questlove, of course, approaches it with not only the encyclopedic fluency and passion of an obsessive fan but also the expertise and originality of an innovative participant.

Hip-hop is history, and also his history.

A Macmillan Audio production from AUWA Books.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Jun 11, 2024
• ISBN: 9781250350299

Questlove

An Academy Award‒winning and EMMY-nominated filmmaker, drummer, DJ, producer, director, culinary entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author, and co-founder of the Roots, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson is the unmistakable heartbeat of Philadelphia’s most influential hip-hop group. He is the musical director for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where the Roots serves as the house band. Questlove made his directorial debut with the Academy Award‒winning feature documentary Summer of Soul. He has written multiple books, including the New York Times bestsellers Mo’ Meta Blues, Creative Quest, Music Is History, and his first children’s book, The Rhythm of Time. He is the publisher of AUWA Books, an imprint of MCD / Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Reviews for Hip-Hop Is History

[Sara Alcorn-Luparello · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It’s fun to listen to someone geek out for 8 hours straight!