Beats Not Beatings

“This book is an powerful ode to hip- hop. The essays form a ‘scat’ of hip- hop theory and application taking readers from the patrician streets of a falling Roman Empire to the queering of hip- hop in capitalist war zones. It’s a book of public scholarship designed to resist academic repression and meet readers in the streets where critical thought turns into embodied action.” —Dr. Lea Lani Kinikini, Director, Institute for Research & Engaged Scholarship, University of Hawaii “A brilliant and compelling book that highlights the empowering and revolution¬ary nature of Hip Hop, a powerful medium that also highlights the corrupt and malicious criminal justice systems that serve the interests of the powerful. These essays make a profound contribution to the growing grass- roots movement calling for an inclusive, egalitarian, and sustainable future for everyone on the planet.” —Dr. David Nibert, Professor of Sociology, Wittenberg University “It is refreshing, exciting and affirming to know that a collection of people have made the conscious decision to document hip- hop’s resistance to the carceral state. A definite must- read for those interested in the relationship between carcerality and self- determination.” —Dr. David Stovall, University of Illinois at Chicago “Since its beginnings, Hip Hop culture has always spoken truth to power, addressing state violence and surveillance. Beats not Beatings presents a novel anarchist counter criminology that foregrounds queer, criminalized, and deviant play through abolitionist impulses inherent in Hip Hop.” —Dr. Mechthild Nagel, Professor of Philosophy and Africana Studies, SUNY Cortland