Evidence was hit hard. In the last few years, the Dilated Peoples rapper had a number of dramatic changes in his life — ones that helped shape the direction, feel and focus of his recently released album, “Cats & Dogs.”
Dan Charnas witnessed and participated in hip-hop’s explosive growth from a 1970s New York subculture to its status today as one of the world’s most predominant cultural movements. The New York native worked for record labels and was a journalist, both helping promote rap records that mattered and discussing them in the media.
Charnas’ just-released book, The Big Payback: The History Of The Business Of Hip-Hop, is a must-read for anyone serious about hip-hop culture and its evolution. In the following Q&A, Charnas discusses the genre’s growth, how it was able to thrive and how he would like to see it presented.
