Can't Stop Won't Stop Book Review

I attended a virtual conference as a representive of this radio station with community radio producers from around the country..

Jeff Chang who wrote CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP was discussing the 2021 edition of his 2005 CAN'T STOP WON'T STOP book.

Can't Stop Won't Stop contextualizes Rap's Legacy with the recent Social Revolution after the George Floyd Murder in the 2021 Young Adult release.

Can't Stop Won't Stop is rereleasing March 16th, 2021.

Can't Stop Won't Stop Book Review

Ruminations of Things from Last Week
Jeff Chang Reminds Flexner Hip Hop was the thing he liked.
By Wes Flexner

I was informed an important book was being re-released while I was planning to watch the new Fred Hampton movie.

The history of rap culture can be found in Can't Stop Won't Stop,

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop release date is March 16th .

I attended a virtual meeting with community radio producers in which Jeff Chang who wrote Can’t Stop Won’t Stop was discussing the 2021 edition of his 2005 book.

BSA Hip Hop 7pm 92.7 / 98.3 wcrsfm.org is my radio show.
http://wesflexner.com/2021/03/12/bsa-hip-hop-3-11-21/

Kool Herc started Hip Hop by deejaying at 1520 Sedgwick in the South Bronx during a time people needed rebuilding.
Kool Herc wrote the introduction of Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.
Jeff’s book is extremely adept at making you feel like Kool Herc is deejaying at your house. Or Dr. Dre is
making weed music with your friends who don’t know how to behave.
This virtual roundtable added to the feeling that Hip Hop History is tangible.
Jeff said in that virtual meeting : ‘Hip Hop was the first movement following the end of the Civil Rights movement.’
I was sitting in my living room in which a turntable sits above various Malcolm X books which is to the
left of my computer screen.
One could look at Kool Herc playing a record as the people’s first step to Killer Mike + Lil Baby’s recent Grammy Performance after Cointelpro destroyed the Civil Rights movement.
My bookshelf agrees with Jeff’s statement regarding Kool Herc starting an important movement after MLK, Malcolm X, and Fred Hampton were killed.
Last week was the 1-year anniversary of Brianna Taylor’s murder which is similar to Fred Hampton’s
death.
While she wasn't a leader, Authorities shot + killed people in their homes which is a similar result.
My bookshelf was undisturbed while Chang was extolling the virtues of Hip Hop culture. I did revisit my bookshelf often after being reminded I liked bookshelves.
I contemplated where I was sitting while I initially read the first version of Can’t Stop Won’t Stop in 2008.
In 2021, rereading this was a reminder I liked Hip Hop.
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop was released in 2005.
I didn’t have a library card in 2005.
People do really impressive things in the face of imperialism.
2005 had racial concerns but we were really concerned about the awful performance of our
government.
The first version of this book was released while George Bush lured our country into a war in Iraq
with lies. Our economy was in a recession.
This global economic blundering had Chang’s 2005 book finishing his rap story with the role Hip Hop
global culture had in resisting imperialism
2021’s release, Chang’s stories of the LA Riots give a narrative which culminates in near Killer
Mike in Atlanta during protests.
Cardi B interviews Bernie Sanders and Biden.
That’s the 2021 relevance.
Chang is incredibly good with detailing context.
The continuing narrative is rap's response to racial, economic and violent oppression.
A human element lives within.
The LA Riots are interesting from Chang’s perspective who understands the police were abusing
citizens in negative economic circumstances. The cops being found innocent of the filmed Rodney King beating was the final straw which culminated a series of injustices into the LA Riots.
Jeff Chang also is an Asian living in California.

There was conflict between Koreans + Blacks during the 1992 LA Riots after a young black girl named
Latasha Harlins was murdered by a Korean store owner.
One of the interesting facts in the new book is an immigrant owned the store where George Floyd was
murdered outside.
The immigrant’s relationship with the Community kept immigrants from being demonized. That and the cops killed George Floyd not a clerk.
But in times of turmoil people make irrational decisions.
Immigrants vs. African Americans was avoided in 2020.
Last Time I read Can’t Stop Won’t Stop this reader felt like Hip hop was being documented by someone who had
read Socialist film studies as part of PHD critical theory course as well as had friends who were active
participants in Hip Hop his entire life.
The book was detailed to the tee where a kid from Columbus partaking in dejaying parties, rapping, and painting graffiti had the same feel as the Hip hop legends.
At the same time, Panthers were intellectuals. Hip Hop was intellectual from both Wild Style’s depiction of the why downtown NY was in love with Hip Hop +
Panthers.
Art history in a backdrop of the Bush Regimes’ ending required a Marxist literacy due as a result of disparities
which existed. I watched Godard Films while reading Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.
In 2021, Every economy is decimated from COVID plague, so we don’t need linguistic conundrums making
unnecessary divisions.
Should I pose a ‘where does Putin Trump COVID leave Marxist based Art Concepts? Or does
DSA render this question obsolete + so 2019?
This is a meandering in regard to things critics used to read in regards to relevency in 2021.
This updated version of Can’t Stop Won’t Stop is relevant in 2021.
Jay-Z can still rap... so can Rakim, and Cold Crush. Wild Style is still the movie.
This time around we land in Ferguson and Cardi B + Megan da Stallion exist in a political context.
Can't Stop Won't Stop is important in contextualizing the things we just experienced.

Chang reminded the reader that Kendrick Lamar, 2pac + Public Enemy were Rap's products of Panthers.

Wes Flexner