Off the hook, read this book
Alex Ogg did a superb job in his book on Russel Simmons and Rick Rubin, founders of the record label, "Def Jam". Ogg gave the men who launched the careers of Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, and other stars of hip hop their props. While I found it was an insightful read, I discovered that homorous touches and memorable moments abound throughout the book. Since I am an fan of the Beastie Boys, I enjoyed the early part of the book which dealt with the rap/rock phenomenon in the 1980's, although I was a bit dissapointed that Ogg didn't delve more deeply into how Rubin got to be friends and roomates with Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock of Beastie-Boy fame.) Nevertheless, Alex Ogg, a gifted writer, knows how to put together a good Def Jam history book, and without a doubt loves hip-hop very much.
