THEY say that knowledge is power, so when I was asked to attend the launch of a new book called The Book of Hip-Hop Cover Art by Andrew Emery, I could hardly refuse, could I? It should be great fun: not only it will be packed with fun people in the music industry, but there will be music, food and drink and the launch will take place in a venue in trendy Carnaby Street. Carnaby Street first made its mark in the sixties, when hippie fashion was at its peak. It is currently a lively pedestrian area famous for its outrageous shops selling anything from Doc Martins boots to fake body piercings. More recently, the latest and coolest designer shops and fabulous restaurants and bars have opened as well. Well worth a stroll down…
Talking of books, I must admit that one of my favourite pastimes in London is spending time browsing in its wonderful bookshops, some full of charm and others incredibly practical… On the one hand there are established classics such as Hatchards, Foyles and Blackwells. Then, of course, there are the specialist book shops, my favourite being Books for Cooks in Notting Hill Gate which also has a restaurant area — one of West London’s best kept secrets. If you are lucky enough to get a table at Books for Cooks you can savour some of the recipes you have read about… divine! And finally we have the relatively new arrival of the coffee shop style book shops, which have teamed up with popular chains of coffee shops, such as Starbucks or Cafe Nero, and offer an invaluable service: a drop in, grab a coffee, a read to your eyes’ content! Wonderful to sit for a couple of hours with a cappuccino and look at magazines, research books, or simply watch the world go by.
The day of the launch has arrived, and as I get ready I listen to Eminem to get in the mood… ‘my name is, my name is…’ Ready to go, I jump on the Tube. It’s the end of the day but the streets are still busy with shoppers and commuters. I arrive at the venue and sign the visitors’ book. Then I am shown into a small room where the atmosphere is buzzing and music is being deejayed. In the corner there is a table with the book on it. I’m caught up in the magic that emanates from all new books: that smell of promise in the pristine, unread pages, the dazzle of the jacket cover. This one shows a black man with a wonderful smile, his gold teeth sparkling with encrusted diamonds, and wearing shades, of course. A quote is printed on the cover. It reads: ‘This book is like a walk down hip-hop memory lane’. Brings back memories of myself growing up with Eminem. I open the book and smile at the early covers from ‘A Tribe Called Quest’ which I remember from my college years… After a few hours, I decide to head back home. I buy a copy of the book, say my goodbyes and hail a cab. Once in the car on my journey home I flick through my new book and start to read about a cultural journey in which hip hop and rap culture entered the mainstream. Chapter One’s title makes me smile: ‘When shoelaces were fat’… This book is cool, too cool for school?
The Book of Hip Hop Cover Art by Andrew Emery (£16.99 published by Mitchell Beazley)
