The Best Holiday Gifts for Hip Hop Heads: Book Edition
Books every rap fan will love— for every budget and generation
It’s less than two weeks away until Christmas. Whether you’re buying a gift for someone special or want to treat yourself or just need something that looks good on your coffee table, I’ve rounded up the best books for hip-hop fans. From old school to new, there’s something for everybody.
Perfect for: Jay-Z fans, anybody who loved (or missed) The Book of Hov exhibit
Price: $120
Last year, Jay-Z turned the Brooklyn Public Library into a career retrospective called The Book of Hov. The exhibit featured photos, clothing and artifacts from the rapper’s legendary career. Now, you can relive the exhibit with The Book of Hov: A Tribute to Jay-Z. The Classic Edition in Jay-Z’s signature blue features eight chapters (each title drawn from Jay’s lyrics) describing the rapper’s influence, 700 images and in-depth essays. Pre-order now for January delivery.
Perfect for: Female rap fans
Price: $20.99
Eve is one of hip-hop’s first female multi-hyphenates. Who’s That Girl? is the story of the pitbull in a skirt. Collaborating with author Kathy Iandoli, the Grammy Award®–winning rapper, actor and fashion designer shares the story of her expansive career and professional and personal eve-olution.
High and Rising: A Book About De La Soul
Perfect for: Backpack rap fans
Price: $23.99
Three is the magic number… In a short amount of time, De La Soul touched millions with their era-defining music. This new cultural biography, which is equal parts a personal love letter by author Marcus J. Moore, spotlights the group’s impact and the groundbreaking 1989 album 3 Feet High & Rising.
Perfect for: Artistic rap fans
Price: $10.95
No matter how old you are, sometimes you just need to color. This activity book for kids and adults is packed with 64 pages of some of hip-hop’s most important artists, especially Golden Era icons like Kool G Rap, Salt-N-Pepa and Grandmaster Caz. Throw in a box of crayons and you have the perfect gift.
Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion
Perfect for: Fashionistas, hype beasts and hip-hop history buffs
Price: $18.93 (hardcover), $19.99 (paperback)
How can I do a holiday gift guide without plugging my book? Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion is the critically-acclaimed first anthology on hip-hop and fashion. Spanning 50 years, the book features interviews with notables like Dapper Dan, Pharrell and A$AP Rocky, 40 photos and in-depth and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from your favorite artists, designers and insiders — including me!
The book was just called one of the “best music books of 2024” by Pitchfork. No matter whether you cop the hardcover or paperback, both look great on coffee tables and bookshelf selfies.
I wasn’t familiar with the De La Soul book! I’m going to add that to my wishlist that for sure. I have your book on my wishlist too!