Books,Books and more Books

[Angel Amor]

Common Preparing New Line Of Children's Books

By Margie Joseph

Date: 6/25/2005 5:00 pm

Common, who previously announced the release of a new line of children's books, recently discussed his upcoming three titles plus another book on the subject of AIDS.

The Chicago MC has written two books tentatively titled I Like You, But I Love Me , and ME: Mixed Emotions, in addition to his first book, The Mirror in Me, which is scheduled to be released this fall.

"I'm working on a fourth one dealing with AIDS," Common told AllHipHop.com. "It's called Hug Me, It's Okay."

Common, who had a family member that passed away from AIDS, has been avidly involved in the "Knowing is Beautiful" campaign, which encourages HIV/AIDS prevention and education.

The lead character in the rapper's first book The Mirror in Me is a boy from Africa who moves to New York and battles identity issues.

"He keeps going to the mirror after days of going to school and trying to be something he ain't, and he never sees his reflection until his teacher tells him, 'One day you gon' learn,'" explained Common.

"He went home that night real frustrated and [asked] the mirror, 'Why don't you show me my reflection?' And the mirror is like, 'You can't see you because you're not being you.' So the mirror kind of gave him his lesson and he took it."

The books are meant to instill valuable messages using subjects that children can relate to, according to Common.

His latest critically praised album, BE, currently holds the No. 4 spot on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Charts.

[Angel Amor]

New Book Chronicling Run-DMC On The Way

By Houston Williams

Date: 6/24/2005 4:42 pm

Author Ronin Ro has penned “Raising Hell: The Reign, Ruin and Redemption of Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay,” a new book that chronicles the personal and professional evolution of the Hollis Queens-reared rap group.

The book, which is published through Amistad/HarperCollins, will be available for purchase in November 2005.

In 1999, Ronin Ro caused a tremendous uproar with his controversial book “Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records." However, he said this outing is better than his previous works.

“There have been many rap-themed books and ‘as told to’ works since ‘Have Gun Will Travel’ --and perhaps just as many imitations or clones--but ‘Raising Hell’ is unlike any of them,” Ro told AllHipHop.com. “It's better than ‘Have Gun Will Travel’ It's a new way to approach a story. It finds Run, DMC, and a number of other individuals you wouldn't think were involved in this tale candidly discussing their career for readers tired of paying good money for formulaic magazines, advocacy journalism, or the rash of books, magazine articles, or documentaries inspired by ‘Have Gun Will Travel.’

There is one topic that “Raising Hell” will not attempt to encapsulate and that’s the tragic murder of Run-DMC’s DJ, Jam Master Jay.

“The book touches briefly on Jay's murder; because much really doesn't have to be said. Murder, in my opinion, is usually simple. Means, motive, opportunity,” Ro explained. “The book mainly focuses on their lives, their art, and their friendships evolving as much as the industry they were in. And of course the indelible imprint they made on popular culture as a whole.”

Although the Run-DMC & Jam Master Jay story has been documented in countless forms and formats, Ronin Ro’s said his will attempt to fully humanize their lives and times.

“I saw [the group] not as mere ‘popular culture’ or the image, but as human beings. Fathers. Children. Friends. Taxpayers. Intellectual beings. Brutalizers. Victims. Not just guys with hats and chains and sneakers. Also, ‘Raising Hell’ finally puts their story in context,” he said.

Ro also said that the book will be converted into a motion picture to be released after the novel. At press time, the deal, producer and screenwriter were being finalized.

Before writing books, Ronin Ro was a heavily sought after journalist who once wrote for Vanity Fair, The Source, SPIN, Rolling Stone, USA Today, VIBE and other publications.

He’s also written books like “Bad Boy: The Influence of Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs On the Music Industry,” “Tales To Astonish : Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and the American Comic Book Revolution” and the aforementioned ‘Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records.”

[Angel Amor]

New Book Attempts To Explain Psychology Of Hip-Hop

By Nolan Strong and Kye Stephenson

Date: 6/26/2005 4:15 pm

Author and therapist Terence McPhaul has decided to enter the realm of Hip-Hop in his new book titled "The Psychology of Hip-Hop."

McPhaul previously released the book "The Celebrity Psyche" and is also a mental health therapist.

His latest book attempts to explain the behaviors of some of Hip-Hop's biggest stars, such as 50 Cent, Eminem, Jay-Z, Lil' Kim and Snoop Dogg, to name a few.

“While the subject is complex and many people have opinions, the basis of everything that we as humans believe, think and do is psychology,” McPhaul explained to AllHipHop.com. “The Psychology of Hip Hop lays a groundwork, which has not happened before now. This helps us to understand why the public is so entangled in, and consumed, by hip hop. Chapters such as ‘Pop Diva Takes a Dive,’ ‘No White Lady I Don’t Want Your Purse,’ and ‘R. Kelly: Prodigy or Pedophile,’ among others, simply illustrate how pervasive psychological issues are, how they are ignored, and how easily they can grow.”

McPhaul also delves into the deaths of Notorious B.I.G and Tupac.

“My belief is that greed could be the cause of the deaths of Biggie and Tupac,” McPhaul said. “I feel the public has been hoodwinked into believing the East coast/West coast farce.”

McPhaul has appeared on various TV talk shows and has appeared as a Mental Health expert for Court TV and Bill O'Reilly's "The O'Reilly Factor."

The Psychology of Hip Hop can be purchased at Barnes & Noble, and book retailers worldwide.

[mfuqua23]

It's great to see Hip-Hop involved in such things. I definately wanna get that "The Psychology of Hip-Hop".