Westsiders by William Shaw
The phenomenal success of Los Angelinos like N.W.A, Ice-T, Ice Cube, Coolio, Snoop, Dr.Dre and Warren G. means that every block in Southcentral contains at least one boy who wants to be a rapper. "Westsiders" is a book about seven young men, all of whom are trying to make it in the rap business. It follows the changes in their musical and personal lives as they try and get shows, auditions, record demos in an increasingly shark-filled market-place. A few have been, or are, gang members. Some have straight jobs, others are drug dealers. Some have stable backgrounds, others were raised by grandparents, aunts or single mothers. Some love gangsta rap with a passion, and want to keep faith with it: others want to move on to something more positive. What they all share is the experience of growing up in a place that is far more violent than the one their parents grew up in. They have to navigate the loyalties of neighbourhood and friendship. All have lost close friends or relatives in the violence.
'Westsiders is best read as a homage to the artists, fly-boys and fly-posters often working for props and freebiesThese 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
William Shaw has written two previous books: Travellers and Spying in Guru Land both published by Fourth Estate, and his work has appeared in many newspapers and magazines around the world including The Times, the Independent, Vogue, Tatler, GQ, Esquire and Cosmopolitan. He is a contributing editor of Arena in the UK and Details in the US.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780747552505 |
| ISBN 10 | 0747552509 |
| Title | Westsiders |
| Author | William Shaw |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |
| Year published | 2001-02-05 |
| Number of pages | 400 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |