{"product_id":"original-gangstas-tupac-shakur-dr-dre-eazy-e-ice-cube-and-the-birth-of-west-coast-rap-9780316344852","title":"Original Gangstas: Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and the Birth of West Coast Rap","description":"\u003cp\u003eAmid rising gang violence, the crack epidemic, and police brutality, a group of unlikely voices cut through the chaos of late 1980s Los Angeles: N.W.A. Led by a drug dealer, a glammed-up producer, and a high school kid, N.W.A gave voice to disenfranchised African Americans across the country. And they quickly redefined pop culture across the world. Their names remain as popular as ever - Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. Dre soon joined forces with Suge Knight to create the combustible Death Row Records, which in turn transformed Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur into superstars.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBen Westhoff explores how this group of artists shifted the balance of hip-hop from New York to Los Angeles. He shows how N.W.A.'s shocking success lead to rivalries between members, record labels, and eventually a war between East Coast and West Coast factions. In the process, hip-hop burst into mainstream America at a time of immense social change, and became the most dominant musical movement of the last thirty years. At gangsta rap's peak, two of its biggest names - Tupac and Biggie Smalls - were murdered, leaving the surviving artists to forge peace before the genre annihilated itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeaturing extensive investigative reporting, interviews with the principal players, and dozens of never-before-told stories, Original Gangstas is a groundbreaking addition to the history of popular music.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ben Westhoff\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Da Capo\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/16\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 432\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.00lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 5.90w x 1.20d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780316344852\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBen Westhoff\u003c\/b\u003e is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in \u003ci\u003eRolling Stone, The Atlantic, Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e, Vice, Pitchfork, and the \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e. He spent three years as the Music Editor at\u003ci\u003e L.A. Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, and is the author of \u003ci\u003eLittle Brother: Love, Tragedy, and My Search for the Truth, Fentanyl, Inc: How Rogue Chemists Created the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic, \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Dirty South: Outkast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop\u003c\/i\u003e, which Rolling Stone called \"packed with lively reporting and colorful social history.\" He lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife and two children.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Ben Westhoff \/ Paperback \/ English","offer_id":48351863668893,"sku":"9780316344852","price":26.38,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_e219db03-9749-4125-8ef1-c9402825887b.jpg?v=1779983091","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/original-gangstas-tupac-shakur-dr-dre-eazy-e-ice-cube-and-the-birth-of-west-coast-rap-9780316344852","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}