This volume pays tribute to HipHop, perhaps the most influential music and youth culture of the present, from its beginnings in all its facets. Enriched with numerous quotes from song lyrics and interview excerpts, 'American Rap' provides a vivid overview of more than three decades of rap history. Focusing on American rap, Jan Kage offers an update and expansion of 'Rap Attack,' the early standard work by David Toop. The artistic development—from DJing to breakdancing—is connected to the political backgrounds of the movement, resulting in a fascinating piece of social history of the USA. Contents include: Backgrounds, from the Nation of Islam to Malcolm X; major portraits of Public Enemy, Ice T, NWA, and others; rap and censorship; machismo and the role of women in HipHop; gangsta rap; HipHop in cinema.