The 'Hood Comes First: Race, Space, and Place in Rap and Hip Hip

Many people who listen to, are familiar with, hip-hop and rap know there are frequent references to the "hood", "the ghetto", and the "inner city". This book explores these articulations and how the real and imaginary dimensions of these are used to define individual and collective identities. The author, Murray Forman, looks at different discourses (from the academic to the "streets" themselves) on dynamics of race, ethnicity, space and youth, and authenticity. Within these notions, he assesses class as a through the music and culture industries, providing an analysis of how this genre has gone from the "hood" itself to international audiences.