Frederick Gooding’s Hip Hop-inspired accessible writing style allows readers to grasp one of his central points—that framing Hip Hop inside of his concept of the Great Black Vibration is a beautifully engaging way to understand the music’s African origins, its U.S. cultural specificities, and its travel around the globe.

RaShelle Peck, Borough of Manhattan Community College

While so many continue to talk about what Hip Hop isn’t, Gooding draws attention to what it is: a sonic tool for Black expression, community building, intercultural exchange, alternative pedagogy, and a counter to the destructive forces of the “Unholy Trinity.” In breaking down rap to its very first compound, he calls back to African philosophies and practices to present Hip Hoppers as the griots of modern times.

Adolphus Belk Jr., Winthrop University