The Rap Year Book
Shea Serrano gives himself a simple rule and a hard one: name the most important rap song from every year since 1979, then defend it. The result is part history, part argument, and part comedy, with illustrations by Arturo Torres and guest essays from other writers. Serrano writes the way fans actually talk about music, with strong opinions, jokes, and a real love for the form, while still tracing how hip-hop changed decade by decade. Lin-Manuel Miranda called it required reading for fans and newcomers alike and the funniest thing he had read in years.
What you might want to know about The Rap Year Book
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Picks the single most important rap song from every year since 1979 and argues, jokes, and footnotes its way through each choice.
Lin-Manuel Miranda called it required reading for hip-hop fans and newbies alike and said it was the funniest thing he had read in years.
The Rap Year Book was written by Shea Serrano, published in 2015 by Abrams Image.
The Rap Year Book is 240 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Rap Year Book takes most readers 4 to 5 hours to finish.
The Rap Year Book is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.