When Rock Met Hip-Hop
How Run-DMC, Aerosmith, Anthrax, The Beastie Boys, and More Crossed Cultural and Musical Boundaries
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Globe Pequot Press
Published:20th May '25
£25.00
Supplier delay - available to order, but may not be available until after 16th April 2026.
Third in the trilogy that includes When Rock Met Disco and When Rock Met Reggae.
One of the most important events in modern music remains the late 80s cross-collision of rock and hip hop. Aerosmith/Run DMC, Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique, Public Enemy and Anthrax, Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons, De La Soul and Third Bass, and the 318 hip hop records that sampled Billy Squier’s “The Big Beat exemplify the era. Rap records sampled rock bands, elevating sampling into an art form, while influencing all other forms of popular music. One of the themes this book will explore is the way the fusion of rap and rock gave hope to a sense of interracial harmony.
In keeping with When Rock Met Disco and When Rock Met Reggae, this title relates the musical cross collision, and cultural fallout that changed music for the better, and remains an influence through today.
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. * Spill Magazine *
A compelling testament to what can happen when cultural expression converges—when collaboration gives rise to an art form that transcends prescribed norms and reshapes collective consciousness. * FM Hip-Hop *
Perfectly timed, culturally urgent, and historically resonant, When Rock Met Hip-Hop is a celebration of creativity, a chronicle of risk-takers, and a testament to the enduring power of cultural collision. * Blabbermouth.net *
Blush completes his ambitious trilogy exploring rock music’s crossover to different genres and cultures ... [and] demonstrates how the sharply contrasting genres of rock and hip-hop successfully transcended strict cultural and musical boundaries. * Big Takeover *
Blush delivers a comprehensive, informed romp through the creative convergence of hip-hop and rock that will appeal to fans of both genres. * Library Journal *
ISBN: 9781493078028
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
256 pages