Hip Hop and rap music are the target of ongoing criticism. Both are frequently accused of being misogynous and glorifying violence, drug consumption and crime. In this book Andreas Jakob attempts to paint a more differentiated picture of Hip Hop culture. In doing so, he touches upon diverse aspects of this multi-faceted phenomenon: Readers learn about the commercial success of Hip Hop as well as about its origins in the New York boroughs of Brooklyn and the Bronx in the 1970s. Jakob relates Hip Hop to well-known concepts of Cultural Studies and discusses a handpicked selection of hip hop lyrics which focus on topics other than crime or sex. Finally, related developments such as Poetry Slam Culture, white Hip Hop as well as rap music from female artists are introduced briefly.