Mickey Hess’ book, "Icons of Hip-Hop," was released in June.
By: Olivia Tattory
It was on a Boy Scout camping trip that 8-year-old Mickey Hess discovered his love for hip-hop music.
Run DMC’s "Walk This Way" was playing and the lyrics intrigued him so much "that was it," said Dr. Hess, now 31, assistant professor of English at Rider University. His fascination for the genre began right there and its impact on pop culture, both musically and politically, has captivated him for over 20 years.
This love and much more is explored in his new book, "Icons of Hip-Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music and Culture," a two-volume edited collection of pieces published by Greenwood Press, released last month. The biographical and critical works in the book are written by both mainstream names in the business, as well as more obscure artists.
"I wanted to showcase what is really unique and important in the business," said Dr. Hess, of Lawrence. "This type of music has gotten a bad rap lately and I wanted to explore how it’s changed over the years."
While trying to strike a balance between what immediately comes to mind when one thinks of hip-hop and what someone may not initially associate with the genre, Dr. Hess has focused on including many different aspects of the hip-hop culture. Through exploring the problems, contradictions and successes of the music, Dr. Hess studied the artists who invented and reinvented the sound and made it what it is today.
Delving into social issues, stylistic innovations and complex contradictions surrounding the artists and their careers was important to Dr. Hess, he said. From well-known pioneers like Run DMC to Roxanne Shante, one of the first women to explore the mostly male dominated world of hip-hop, the book includes exclusive interviews with artists as well as contributing scholars from Stanford University, University of California Berkeley and L’Universite Michel de Montaigne in France.
Jeru the Damaja, who wrote the foreword, and Masta Ace, who wrote the afterword, are just two of 24 artists featured in "Icons." Dr. Hess also included sidebars throughout the book about hip-hop homophobia, the father figure in hip-hop, rap slang, white rappers, hip-hop and the Italian Mafia, hip-hop’s culture of death, hip-hop and horror films and vegetarian rappers.
"Many rappers are active in organizations such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and some of this stems from their interest in Eastern religions," Dr. Hess noted, referring to vegetarian rappers.
Homophobia is something that has been very prevalent over the years in hip-hop music, Dr. Hess said. From one of the genre’s first songs, artists insult each other using references to homosexuals.
"Rappers now, however, are starting to pay attention to that and are taking a stand against it, Kanye West being one of them," he said.
Hip-hop has changed immensely over the years, the professor noted. Not only has it become more visible and more popular in mainstream culture, but it’s also more literary than ever.
"The rhyming structure has become very complex," he said. "The mainstream culture of hip-hop has become very flashy and in a sense along the lines of trying to build a big spectacle."
He attributes this to the fact that "it’s what sells." Mainstream popular artists that get all the attention are the ones that are flashy and create spectacles about "drugs, sex and money," he said. But the roots of hip-hop are much deeper, even literary, starting with the early years of the genre with songs that told stories, including "Rapper’s Delight," by The Sugarhill Gang, a song originally released in 1979 that was given a second life when it was featured in the 1998 film "The Wedding Singer."
Dr. Hess says "Icons" is a good read for people who aren’t familiar with the genre. It will give readers a good introduction to the genre starting from the beginning with good oversights from the artists who have been there from the start.
Those who are familiar with hip-hop also will enjoy the book, he said. "It offers a lot of interesting facts surrounding hip-hop and people will definitely find certain things surprisingly associated with the genre."
Dr. Hess teaches several courses at Rider, including Creative Writing, 20th Century American Literature, First-Year Composition and Hip-Hop and American Culture. He has spoken on several occasions, both about his courses and books, including as keynote speaker in April at Rider’s annual gender studies colloquium. He is scheduled to speak about his books this fall at his alma mater, the University of Louisville.
His next book, slated for release in September by Praeger Publishers, is titled "Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music." The book will look at hip-hop and the way it is addressed through lyrics. Dr. Hess also has recently signed a contract to edit a two-volume collection titled "Represent Where I’m From: The Greenwood Guide to American Regional Hip-Hop," which will include essays from specific cities and geographic regions throughout the United States and the unique styles of hip-hop that came from them.
For more information about "Icons of Hip-Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music and Culture," visit www.greenwood.com.

