Ronin Ro, Raising Hell: The Reign, Ruin, and Redemption of Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay (2005)
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Ro gives an excellent, personal, and detailed story of the band's history that manages to put you right there next to the musicians as they revolutionize hip-hop.
Jeff Chang, Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation (2006)
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If you ever find yourself asking why something happened in hip-hop, read Jeff Chang's book, which explores the geographical, socioeconomic, political, and historical context of how hip-hop came to be and what it has become.
Marcus Reeves, Somebody Scream!: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power (2008)
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Reeves tells the story of hip-hop through ten artists, from Run-DMC to Eminem, and explores the politics of the black generation that grew up after the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power.