The Best Hip-Hop Books – Vulture

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Queen Latifah's debut album.

Photo-Illustration: Vulture

Hip-hop in its earliest incarnations was an experiential thing — not just because rappers and DJs had yet to secure the backing of major labels, but because their work depended on the texture and context that only a cramped nightclub or a sweaty multipurpose room could provide. Even as rap became a massive commercial force, it preserved the thrill of the…