SPILL BOOK REVIEW: STEVEN BLUSH – WHEN ROCK MET HIP-HOP

STEVEN BLUSH – WHEN ROCK MET HIP-HOP

BACKBEAT BOOKS

BOOK REVIEW BY GERROD HARRIS

As the third installment of his recent series of books that explore intersections between rock and other genres (with previous entries focusing on reggae and disco), Steven Blush has turned his attention to the collision between rap and rock music. As such, When Rock Met Hip-Hop explores a niche style within both genres through exploring the work of foundational innovators, including The Beastie Boys, Run-DMC and Aerosmith, Public Enemy, Anthrax, and so many more, as he traces this evolution from the ‘70s into the early 2000s.

To support his work, Blush pulls from a wealth of research to deliver an archives’ worth of artist quotes. There is a conversational aspect that drives a majority of the book, almost making When Rock Met Hip-Hop feel like an oral history. Through primary sources, Blush is able to communicate the artistry and vision behind different bands and MCs, as well as capturing some social attitudes and perspectives of the time. In between quotes, Blush does his best to expand upon these quotes, providing a greater sense of content to his narrative, however, there is a distinct absence of critical musical and cultural analysis. Where little work has been dedicated to specifically exploring the significance behind the crossover success of rap-rock, this further level of depth would have greatly pushed Blush’s work to the next level.

Similarly, as When Rock Met Hip-Hop progresses, Blush shifts his approach from the chronological walk-through that takes readers through the early roots of hip-hop to the early innovations and collaborations of Run-DMC and Aerosmith, and the early triumphs of The Beastie Boys (Blush dedicates a few chapters to exploring the early work of the Beastie Boys, making for a clear highlight within the book), exploring regional scenes and the artists that emerged from these locations. Relying less on artist quotes, Blush provided comprehensive summaries of some of the biggest artists to be inspired by both rock and hip-hop, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, Limp Bizkit, and many more. While again suffering from a lack of deeper analysis, Blush shines a light through a track-by-track walk through of both 1993’s Judgement Night soundtrack and 2000’s Loud Rocks compilation, two vital gems within the genre almost entirely lost to time.

Built upon a unique premise, When Rock Met Hip-Hop provides an introduction the explicit collaborations and implicit crossovers between genres often associated to be much further from one another. By discussing key records, scenes, and artists, Blush explores the roots and central tracks that drove the early intersections between rock and hip-hop towards the rise of alternative music in the ‘90s that eventually culminated, for better or worse, with the rise of nu metal.

ISBN-10: 149307802X
ISBN-13:‎ 978-1493078028

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