Close to the Edge: In Search of the Global Hip Hop Generation - Softcover

"Fernandes brilliantly captures the moment when a global generation curved toward a unifying language and culture and found something that was both much more and much less than what it was searching for. Close to the Edge is a beautifully told tale of the collective and the personal, the cultural and political--a classic of hip hop writing and a poignant tribute to urban youth."--Jeff Chang, author of Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation "Fernandes chronicles her search for a global hip hop movement through an earnest and self-reflexive approach to storytelling that is equally concerned with history and social issues. She offers fascinating and detailed snapshots of the hip-hop scenes in Sydney, Chicago, Havana and Caracas while asking broad and crucial questions about the intersections between music, identities, and politics. Close to the Edge is both thought provoking and a pleasure to read."--Raquel Z. Rivera, author of New York Ricans from the Hip Hop Zone, and editor of the anthology Reggaeton

Close to the Edge tells the stories of a global generation that came of age with hip hop. Part memoir, part social history, the book relates the author's experiences as she traverses the hop hop globe, from Australia to Detroit and from Havana to Caracas. The book explores the elements of hip hop culture - rapping, beat making, b-boying, d-jaying, and graffiti - around the world. Close to the Edge narrates a search for solidarities across borders, a document of the diverse histories, misunderstandings and fissures that hip hop engendered as it went global, and a powerful demonstration of the power of music to forge radical political alliances.