This is an absolutely amazing book IF you are a big music nerd (which I am). Despite knowing really a whole heck of a lot about the genres and eras of music discussed in this book, I still did not know who many of the musicians mentioned were.
I super enjoyed the personal and historical contexts Questlove placed familiar songs / artists / albums in, and likewise enjoyed learning about some new (old) music to check out.
All of that being said, I'd like to reiterate that to get the most out of this book, you really need to have at least a strong interest in, if not a strong knowledge of, hip hop, classic rock, funk, R&B, jazz, soul, etc. It is not uncommon for the author to be discussing a particular sample in a hip hop song and then spend a paragraph talking about how the rhythm guitar player on that osng also played on a different song from earlier in the book, and oh yeah his dad was so and so who was in a band with his dad in the fifties, and so on.
It is a fascinating web that bounces from pop culture meta narrative, to personal stories about growing up in West Philly. A+ 10/10 book for the right person.
Reviewed by Kyle P on Oct 4, 2024
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