The History of Gangster Rap: From Schoolly D to Kendrick Lamar, the Rise of a Great American Art Form

History has so often been written by the victors, that you very rarely ever get the real story behind anything. So it's really important to hear from the people that were there, which is exactly what Soren Baker shares in this book. He writes about it and he's honest about it. --The D.O.C. Hip-hop changed the world. Gangster rap changed the narrative, and then changed the world again. Soren Baker has been a very integral part of documenting hip-hop on the West Coast for as long as I can remember. I don't think anybody is more qualified to write this book. --Xzibit Respect to Soren Baker for documenting the history of gangster rap in these pages. Some hate it. Some love it. But you can't deny its brutal, hardcore honesty. --Ice-T Soren Baker has changed the perspective of gangster rap by putting his pen to paper. He has given hip-hop power, proven its potential, and made non-believers contemplate all of its possibilities. The truth in his writing leaves no stone unturned, something he's done again with The History of Gangster Rap. Soren doesn't just champion hip-hop. He also reveals its flaws and its truths. --Leslie Big Lez Segar