Quotes

“Rock historiography is full of lore about the making of canonical albums, but there hasn’t been much like that for the rap world – until now.”
-- Michaelangelo Matos, VillageVoice.com (June 2005)

“Lamenting the fact that rap albums lack liner notes, author Brian Coleman takes matters into his own hands, revisiting 21 landmark releases to fill in the anecdotes.”
-- Steve Kandell, Blender (July 2005)

“… an excellent new hip-hop book… 21 chapters on 21 killer albums (including EPMD’s ‘Strictly Business,’ PE’s ‘It Takes A Nation of Millions….’ and Ultramagnetic MCs’ ‘Critical Beatdown’) … Coleman has that vet’s awareness to frame each album’s story and let the artists’ own quotes tell the tale.”
-- Mike Wolf, Time Out New York (June 2005)

“If ‘Rakim Told Me’ was just a book about classic hip-hop records, it would be more than enough. But it's better than that: every page of this book intimately reveals the struggle, the craft, and the genius of some of the most brilliant artists in any genre of the last two decades. I carry this book around like a bible.”
-- Jeff Chang, author of “Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation” (August 2005)

“Etched in the fanatic-turned-insider tradition… Coleman’s project captures the intoxicating mix of genius, charisma and arrogance that’s personified by the superintendents of old-school hip-hop… Ounce for ounce, ‘Rakim Told Me’ is one of the most intimate glances at the magic behind hip-hop that I’ve ever experienced.”
-- Chris Faraone, Boston’s Weekly Dig (June 2005)

“Envisioned as a replacement for the non-existent liner notes to 21 classic golden-age hip-hop albums, Brian Coleman’s ‘Rakim Told Me’ is essential reading for fans of the old school.”
-- Carly Carioli, Boston Phoenix (June 2005)

“The idea behind ‘Rakim Told Me’ is right on the money – to provide liner notes for landmark Golden Era albums that never had them. Not only were these albums important in their day, but they’ve continued to grow in importance – which means that the need for loving and intelligent analysis of them has also continued to grow.”
-- Bill Adler, author of “Tougher Than Leather: The Rise of Run-DMC” (August 2005)

“’Rakim Told Me’ presses rewind to a time when music blew your mind and compiles what writers like Nelson George, David Toop and Bonz Malone were never invited to contribute, offering insightful artist interviews and observations on genre-defining classics… One of the most valuable hip-hop books around. If you like reading about hip-hop as much as you like listening to it, there are few better literary companions to the music.”
-- Zaid, Spine Magazine (UK) (May 2005)

“’Rakim Told Me’ answered all the questions I had in my head back when I first heard these albums, and at the same time raised new ones. I bought 10 copies so I could spread the word like a religious zealot.”
-- Peanut Butter Wolf, Stones Throw Records (August 2005)

“It’s sort of like ‘Please Kill Me’ [the punk rock oral history edited by Legs McNeil] for ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ fans, a throwback to the good old sample-saturated days when EPMD could nick an Eric Clapton riff without clearing the rights.”
-- Camille Dodero, Boston Phoenix (June 2005)

“’Why the hell didn't hip-hop albums ever have liner notes?’ asks Brian Coleman. A damn good question, one that deserves this damn good book in response. ‘Rakim Told Me,’ an indispensable book of 'invisible liner notes' for twenty-one classic albums from the Golden Age of hip-hop ('Paid in Full', '3 Feet High and Rising', 'Straight Out the Jungle', 'It Takes a Nation of Millions' and the mighty 'Criminal Minded', for example), is here to make redress…. addictive, witty … It's a valuable slab of research and it's as difficult to put down as a bag of pistachios.”
-- Jonah Colon, Straight No Chaser (UK) (Summer 2005)

“Une mine d’informations pour tous les nostalgiques de cette époque doree.” [Rough translation: “A mine of information for anyone nostalgic for this era [the ’80s].”]
-- Theophile Haumesser, Tyler Magazine (France) (June 2005)

"This is a killer book. Brings it back to pause tapes and dad’s records... it’s all about the science behind the gold"
-- DJ Cut Chemist (August 2005)

“Neither a straight musical analysis nor a total historical or reflective study, Coleman selects 21 albums from rap’s past and re-examines them, operating in the same fashion that liner note writers have done for decades with jazz, blues and other genres… [he] blends personal encounters, memories, interview snippets, commentary and coverage, offering rap fans the same type of intricate breakdowns and stylistic dissection that’s always been commonplace among music junkies.”
-- Ron Wynn, Nashville City Paper (August 2005)

“What makes the book different than the handful of other books doing the same thing is that the majority of the text here comes straight from the artists’ mouths… It’s an amazing book, and a great contribution to the history of the music.”
-- TurntableLab.com

“His choice of albums is exceptional, covering a range of years, styles and personalities… [a] rare peek into history. ‘Rakim Told Me’ falls somewhere between reference book and entertainment rag. The concise sections make it perfect for short sittings. It’s thorough from cover to cover, and leaves you thirsting for more stories about the records many of us remember hearing back in the day, and the rest hear spoken of as legend. We’re already on the lookout for Volume 2.”
-- Phat Matt, Elemental (August 2005)

“From ‘It Takes A Nation of Millions,’ to ‘Life Is Too Short,’ to ‘Critical Beatdown,’ and from East, West and everywhere in-between, this book covers it all and is a piece of hip-hop history.”
- JtothaI, ThaFormula.com (June 2005)

“Here's a historical hip hop journal that we can get behind in a big way and without reservation -- one in which many of hip hop's greatest ‘80s innovators personally tell the stories behind their best early records! Author Brian Coleman (whom you may know for his XXL column) takes a no b.s. approach that we simply can't praise enough -- he provides just enough back story and insight, and stays out of the way of the artists' own words. Coleman's a journalist in the truest sense. Highly recommended!!!”
-- DustyGroove.com

“Coleman’s exhaustive collection is a sure shot for hip-hop junkies.”
-- Craig Smith, URB (July 2005)

“The premise is simple: interview golden-era hip-hop icons such as Public Enemy, Kool Keith, and of course Rakim, and get a behind-the-scenes peek at the creation of some of hip-hop’s most influential albums… The book is essentially an extension of Coleman’s ‘Classic Material’ column for hip-hop rag XXL and retains that column’s preference for authorial transparency and letting the subjects speak for themselves…. A quick, fun read.”
-- Sam Chennault, Miami New Times (July 2005)

“’Rakim Told Me’ is simply one of the best books I’ve ever read on hip-hop. There’s not a book out there that has such an overwhelming proportion of artists’ voices, versus the interviewer/analyst’s voice.”
-- Ted S, customer

“No garbage about their favorite colors – just the important, interesting stuff.”
-- Rappcats.com (Quasimoto / Madlib website)

“This book hit me harder than when DJ Cash Money and Marvelous sampled Tears for Fears.”
-- Esoteric (of 7L & Esoteric)

“This book is definitely good time spent. It’s a must for those who want to know about these classic albums and why the ‘80s are hailed as the Golden Era.”
-- William Hernandez, Urban America Newspaper (August 2005)

“A really incredible book… Not only does it include the artists’ voices on how they made the album, but each chapter also breaks down the LP in question, almost song by song.”
- Oliver Wang (editor of “Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide”), Poplicks.com

“I went right to the page you tabbed [on Ultramagnetic MCs] and was laughing out loud at the commentary on Ultra. Loved it, [and it] made me reminisce about bugging out with [Kool] Keith at Godfather Don’s crib and at WKCR.”
-- Bobbito Garcia, author of “Where’d You Get Those,” Vibe magazine contributing editor