- Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; New edition edition (5 Feb 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0747552509
- ISBN-13: 978-0747552505
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 636,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
| ||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
After Travellers and Spying in Guru Land, William "West Side" Shaw, in his third book, continues his preoccupation with those on the fringes of so-called respectable society by turning his sights on South Central Los Angeles and the careers of seven aspiring young rappers. C-Double-E and Blue Diamond may have started life as Hermann Collins and Michael Bracks but to reach the top they, like the others, need to be reborn and clad in the emperor's new clothes to embark on the dizzying milk round of recording, talent shows, hustling and wearying inertia as they seek the holy grail of a recording contract and, most of all, Respect. Their talents vary and mostly follow a depressingly dead-end course but one ends up with a break, which in its way justifies all their hopes in this artistic lottery. The didactic literalism of their syncopated patter, jousting with couplets of "spectacular vernacular", betrays metaphorical lives on the economic underbelly of the American Dream. It's a world away from the people who might listen to their polemic; rap is the music and hip hop a lifestyle but here South Central is for real.
Negotiating similar ground to William Finnegan's Cold New World but carrying its bones less heavily, Shaw scans the real and imagined South Central seeking out the habitués of its shadowy margins, determined to uncover the lives behind the myths. Hip hop has become the darling of certain academics but what Shaw finds, apart from conspiracy theories, horrifying death rates and universal "dreaming of greatness", is desperately vulnerable men struggling with their fractured identities, often without fathers, caught up in the grimly violent struggles of gangs. It's all about colour: black or white, Blood red or Crip blue, as they either shoot bullets or word plays at their adversaries. You may prefer your beats unbroken or your jeans less baggy but that is precisely why this should prove an informative and challenging account of the people inside the genre, fabled for its oral tradition but here proving its worth on the page. --David Vincent --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'Westsiders is best read as a homage to the artists, fly-boys and fly-posters often working for props and freebies.These are poignant tales' I-D 'Shaw succeeds in piecing together an intriguing apologia for gangster rap that deserves to be read by everyone from Charlton Heston downwards *****' Q (Book of the Month) 'As definitive a portrait of contemporary hip-hop and young black lifestyles as has been written. A shocking and highly readable report from America's front line' The Times
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reading my life in William Shaw's words was exciting.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Westsiders: Stories of Boys in the Hood (Paperback)
Upon being interviewed for this book I had no idea of the strength of issues he would deal with in the end. He was accurate and wasn't scared to show the truth. This book made me appreciate my current success so much more to see where I have been. I have also discovered how much I have learned about how to be in a relationship and attack the music industry. I can't wait for William Shaw's next endeavor. He should consider film writing.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating insight and a thoroughly enjoyable read,
By A Customer
This review is from: Westsiders: Stories of the Boys in the Hood (Paperback)
A brilliantly written book which I couldn't bear to put down for a minute and instantly regretted not doing so when I finished it - wishing I had savoured it that bit longer! Shaw immerses himself into the geography of West Side LA as well as the lives of the Westsiders and the wannabe rappers. He gives a fascinating insight into the lives and loves of some intriguing characters. I seriously recommend this book to anyone with an interest in hip hop and rap and also to anyone without. Westsiders made me want to jump on the next plane and go see for myself. It also made me want to listen to rap artists previously unknown to me and read a lot more about the culture too. JUST READ IT!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly readable insights into LA's Hip Hop and Rap scene,
This review is from: Westsiders: Stories of the Boys in the Hood (Paperback)
Despite living in Scotland, another world from South Central LA, I was fascinated by Shaw's intermingling true stories of struggling wannabe hiphop stars. What adds immeasurably to this is his research into South Central's history and culture, how it reflects and entwines with todays youth there. There are also snippets of interviews with major stars - Cube, Master P, Tupac - and more rhymes than you can shake a stick at. And look out for a "cameo" from a (then) unknown called Marshall Mathers... read this book, wherever you live.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews |
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
