Frederick Gooding’s Hip Hop-inspired accessible writing style allows readers to grasp one of his central points—that framing Hip Hop inside of his concept of the Great Black Vibration is a beautifully engaging way to understand the music’s African origins, its U.S. cultural specificities, and its travel around the globe.
— RaShelle Peck, Borough of Manhattan Community College
While so many continue to talk about what Hip Hop isn’t, Gooding draws attention to what it is: a sonic tool for Black expression, community building, intercultural exchange, alternative pedagogy, and a counter to the destructive forces of the “Unholy Trinity.” In breaking down rap to its very first compound, he calls back to African philosophies and practices to present Hip Hoppers as the griots of modern times.
— Adolphus Belk Jr., Winthrop University
[The] author gives strong evidence for Hip Hop not being monolithic but instead being a reinvention of traditional African musical practices that have been adapted to suit the new contexts and realities in the African diaspora. With its lucid, oftentimes playful, language and clear description of its focus, The Griot Tradition as Remixed through Hip Hop: Straight Outta Africa contributes to decolonization narratives as it signals Hip Hop as a major Black contribution to global culture and civilization. It will be a useful resource for scholars, researchers, and students interested in Cultural Studies and Hip Hop Studies.
— Cultural Studies