Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. The Story of the Hip-Hop Generation

The book by historian, journalist, and music critic Jeff Chang, «Can’t Stop Won’t Stop», offers a comprehensive analysis of the political and social events that created a new cultural movement.

Hip-hop originated in the South Bronx in the early 1970s—during the height of the civil rights struggle—as a new way for the rejected and forgotten segments of society to assert themselves.

But soon it spread across the country, capturing areas of Los Angeles, Chicago, and then going beyond the United States.

First published in 2005, Jeff Chang's book quickly became a classic study of hip-hop's influence on modern America.

It compellingly tells the story of the key elements of the genre—DJing, b-boying, MCing, graffiti—and its main representatives—Cool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Public Enemy, and others.

Hip-hop has become a powerful force uniting people.

It has shaped a generation that is not confined by strict timeframes. As Chang writes, the hip-hop generation includes «everyone who’s in the know», its voice still resonates and will continue to resonate until «the next generation [tells] us it’s over».