Taking inspiration from Public Enemy's lead vocalist Chuck D - who once declared that 'rap is the CNN of young Black America' - this volume brings together leading legal commentators to make sense of some of the most pressing law and policy issues in the context of hip-hop music and the ongoing struggle for Black equality. Contributors include MSNBC commentator Paul Butler, who grapples with race and policing through the lens of N.W.A.'s song 'Fuck tha Police', ACLU President Deborah Archer, who considers the 2014 uprisings in Ferguson, Missouri, and many other prominent scholars who speak of poverty, LGBTQ+ rights, mass incarceration, and other crucial topics of the day. Written to 'say it plain', this collection will be valuable not only to students and scholars of law, African-American studies, and hip-hop, but also to everyone who cares about creating a more just society.

'This book’s impactful coverage of critical topics such as racism, policing, protest movements, and gender progress should be a must read for undergraduate courses in African-American Studies, Criminal Justice, and Gender Studies. The Editors have ensured that the chapters are both insightful and accessible.'

L. Song Richardson - President, Colorado College

'The legal issues raised by this book are crucial for law students to understand. From police racism to mass incarceration to gender norms to the Black Lives Matter movement, these are topics lawyers need to understand. The fact that the analyses emerge from popular hip-hop songs makes them all the more enjoyable to read.'

Angela Onwuachi-Willig - Dean, Boston University School of Law