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Jeff Chang (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Jeff Chang is an American
journalist and music critic on hip hop
music and culture. His 2005 book, Can't Stop Won't Stop
, which chronicles the early hip hop scene, won an American Book Award
in 2005. His writings have appeared in publications such as URB, The Bomb, San Francisco Chronicle, the Village Voice, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, Vibe, Spin, The Nation, and Mother Jones.
Jeff Chang is a 1985 graduate of Iolani School
. He was a founding member of the Solesides
record label while a DJ at a UC Davis
college radio station, which was the home to acts like DJ Shadow
and Blackalicious
before it was recreated as Quannum Projects
without Chang's involvement.
Chang's 2007 book, Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-Hop, is an anthology
of essays and interviews documenting the impact of hip hop beyond music and the "four elements". According to its companion website, following the release of Total Chaos, Chang held a series of public panel discussions to further explore the subject.
Chang's next book is entitled Who We Be: The Colorization of America, where he moves away from hip hop
to focus on "the cultural implications of the new American majority" and "the social history, the cultural influence -- and the massive selling -- of multiculturalism in America over the last thirty years".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist and music critic on hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
music and culture. His 2005 book, Can't Stop Won't Stop
Can't Stop Won't Stop
Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation is a book by Jeff Chang chronicling the early hip hop scene.The book features portraits of DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Chuck D, and Ice Cube, among others, and is based on numerous interviews with graffiti artists, gang members, DJs,...
, which chronicles the early hip hop scene, won an American Book Award
American Book Award
The American Book Award was established in 1978 by the Before Columbus Foundation. It seeks to recognize outstanding literary achievement by contemporary American authors, without restriction to race, sex, ethnic background, or genre...
in 2005. His writings have appeared in publications such as URB, The Bomb, San Francisco Chronicle, the Village Voice, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, Vibe, Spin, The Nation, and Mother Jones.
Jeff Chang is a 1985 graduate of Iolani School
Iolani School
Iolani School, located at 563 Kamoku Street in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a private coeducational college preparatory school serving over 1,800 students. Founded in 1863 by Father William R. Scott, it was the principal school of the former Anglican Church of Hawaii. It was patronized by Kamehameha IV...
. He was a founding member of the Solesides
Solesides
Solesides was an underground hip hop label based in Northern California, founded in 1991. It comprised various DJs and MCs, the most notable being DJ Shadow, MC–producer Lyrics Born, and the duo, Blackalicious. The members of Solesides all met via the radio station, KDVS, the 5000-watt community...
record label while a DJ at a UC Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
college radio station, which was the home to acts like DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
and Blackalicious
Blackalicious
Blackalicious is an American hip hop duo from Sacramento, California made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel . They are noted for Gift of Gab's often "tongue-twisting", multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's "classic" beats...
before it was recreated as Quannum Projects
Quannum Projects
Quannum Projects is a hip hop collective based in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has been active since 1992, when it was formed at UC Davis under the moniker Solesides Records. It is also the name of the independent record label that releases their records, as well as those of a number of other...
without Chang's involvement.
Chang's 2007 book, Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-Hop, is an anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
of essays and interviews documenting the impact of hip hop beyond music and the "four elements". According to its companion website, following the release of Total Chaos, Chang held a series of public panel discussions to further explore the subject.
Chang's next book is entitled Who We Be: The Colorization of America, where he moves away from hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
to focus on "the cultural implications of the new American majority" and "the social history, the cultural influence -- and the massive selling -- of multiculturalism in America over the last thirty years".
External links
- Homepage
- Total Chaos homepage
- Video discussion with Chang and Eli Lake on Bloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tv is a political, world events, philosophy, and science video blog discussion site in which the participants take part in an active back and forth conversation via webcam which is then broadcast online to viewers...