In the Heart of the Beat: The Poetry of Rap Book

If you already enjoy rap and listen to it as poetry/think about it in literary terms (at least some of it), you'll find this book a bit simplistic, but still enjoyable. However, if you think you hate rap, or if you refuse to listen to it because some of it is misogynistic, racist, sexist, violent, or incomprehensible, this book could be enlightening. Pate addresses the literary roots of rap and its place in hip-hop culture, and it takes rap/poets seriously. A number of song lyrics are listed and examined, and further readings are given. Probably won't introduce the fan of rap to any artists he/she hasnt' heard of, unfortunately.