Hip-Hop Is History

Questlove Announced The Release Date For His Next Book, ‘Hip-Hop Is History’

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At this point, Questlove has so many jobs, it’s not only hard to keep track of them all but one also wonders when exactly he has the time to do so many things without the assistance of a secret twin, a la The Prestige. He’s joked about it himself, but it’s getting out of hand; in addition to organizing the Grammys’ hip-hop tribute in 2023, organizing the annual Roots Picnic, directing the live-action Aristocats remake for Disney, and curating playlists for his celebrity friends, he’s a best-selling author. In that last capacity, he just announced the release date for his upcoming book, Hip-Hop Is History, a deep-dive follow-up to his fifth book, Music Is History.

Questlove announced Hip-Hop Is History last August, so that turnaround is pretty impressive. At the time, he said, “No one asked me to, but I’m carrying that burden. And for all those who are present and accounted for, there is something to celebrate with hip hop’s 50th.There may be a lot of water under that bridge. Our disdain for looking in the rearview mirror is entrenched in pain and trauma. But as a child of legacy and nostalgia culture, I want to be the GPS for people to celebrate that thing called hip-hop.”

Hip-Hop Is History is out on June 11 via Auwa Books, Questlove’s own imprint.

Questlove Announces New Book “Hip-Hop Is History” to Release in June

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Questlove Announces New Book "Hip-Hop Is History" in June

Renowned director, musician, and author Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson has unveiled details about his groundbreaking new book, Hip-Hop Is History, slated to launch on June 11th under his AUWA Books imprint. With co-author Ben Greenman, Questlove offers a perceptive and deeply personal exploration of hip-hop’s evolution over the past half-century.

In “Hip-Hop Is History,” Questlove delves into the cultural and creative forces that shaped hip-hop, blending forgotten gems with chart-topping hits. Through intimate storytelling, he provides unique insights into the genre’s rise from its humble beginnings to its current cultural dominance.

As a Grammy Award-winning musician, Academy Award-winning filmmaker, and bestselling author, Questlove brings a wealth of expertise and passion to the subject. Growing up in Philadelphia, hip-hop became his obsession and inspiration, leading him on a journey that would redefine music history.

With Hip-Hop Is History, Questlove offers a retrospective of hip-hop’s past and a visionary perspective on its future. The book will be available in hardcover, e-book, and digital audio formats through AUWA Books, an imprint of MCD/FSG, marking a significant milestone in hip-hop literature.

The post Questlove Announces New Book “Hip-Hop Is History” to Release in June first appeared on The Source.

The post Questlove Announces New Book “Hip-Hop Is History” to Release in June appeared first on The Source.

Questlove’s Next Book, ‘Hip-Hop Is History’ Will Drop Early Next Year To Commemorate 50 Years Of Hip-Hop

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Questlove Reading Partners' Dream Dinner Party 2023
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Back in 2021, Questlove wrote Music Is History, an encyclopedia of sorts of significant moments in music for every year since his birth. Now, with 50th anniversary celebrations for hip-hop going on, he is set to follow it up early next year with Hip-Hop Is History, which will use a similar format. In an interview with Variety about the new book, he said he’s writing and releasing the book (via his own AUWA Books publishing imprint) because “No one is else is writing it.”

His co-writer on the project will once again be Ben Greenman and will be the second book from AUWA following a memoir by Sly Stone due in October. (Quest is also directing a documentary about Stone and his legal fight to secure royalties for his work with The Family Stone.) “There was no nostalgia culture before the 1970s, so, my dad was the first generation of the oldies, doo-wop crowd,” Quest said. “I know everything about curating these types of events, working with everyone from Bowser from Sha Na Ha to Dick Clark.”

“I was 8 years old when ‘Rapper’s Delight came out,” he explained of his experience with the genre. “To be a living witness for every first in hip-hop and have an exact memory of it…” That near-photographic memory is what makes him the perfect person to write this 50-year retrospective. “No one asked me to, but I’m carrying that burden,” he said. “And for all those who are present and accounted for, there is something to celebrate with hip hop’s 50th.There may be a lot of water under that bridge. Our disdain for looking in the rearview mirror is entrenched in pain and trauma. But as a child of legacy and nostalgia culture, I want to be the GPS for people to celebrate that thing called hip-hop.”