R & B (Rhythm and Business) the Political Economy of Black Music

by Norman W. Kelley (Editor)

Cultural Writing. African-American Studies. Now in Paperback! For generations, African-Americans have created and driven varied musical gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock & roll, funk, hip hop, and others. Given that hip hop music alone generates more than a billion dollars in annual sales, the absence of a major black record company is disturbing. Here, for the first time, is a collection of voices and perspectives that provides a nuanced investigation into this structure of stealing. Editor Norman Kelley joins forces with a crew of veteran journalists and principled musicians to examine how black music has been developed, marketed, and distributed within the structure of American capitalism. R&B also considers how the changes and developments within the music business--from the frontier of digital technology to the consolidation of the giant music conglomerates--might affect the future roles of African-Americans in the industry.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History

330 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2005