Nelson George

The classic history of modern black music from "the best black writer writing about black music in America" ("Newsweek"). This passionate and provocative book tells the complete story of black music in the last 50 years, and in doing so outlines the perilous position of black culture within white American society.

The Death of Rhythm & Blues

a novel

The plot against hip hop

Charlie Ahearn

Jim Fricke

Experience Music Project

An account of the origins of hip-hop music as presented by its founders and stars traces the work of such performers as DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and DMC. 50,000 first printing.

The Experience Music Project Oral History Of Hip-hop's First Decade

Yes Yes Y'all

Professional bodyguard D Hunter takes a gig protecting rapper Asya Roc at an underground fight club in poverty-stricken Brownsville, Brooklyn. Unknown to D, the rapper has arranged to purchase illegal guns at the event. An acquaintance of D from the streets named Ice turns out to be the courier. During the exchange a robbery is attempted and a bloody shoot-out ensues. D finds himself involved in multiple mysteries. Who were the gunmen? Why were they after the guns? Who was being set up- Asya Roc or Ice? Meanwhile, he gets a much-needed paid assignment to track down the rarest soul music single ever recorded.--from back cover.

The lost treasures of R & B

The Rise and Fall of the Motown

Where Did Our Love Go

Notes on Post-Soul Black Culture

Buppies, B-Boys, Baps, & Bohos

The first assignment is unusual. The second will set D Hunter in urgent pursuit of a mysterious entity that is kidnapping Top Forty hitmakers. Always cloaked in the color black, security specialist D Hunter lives on the periphery of the monied Manhattan nightlife. But he's the man people come to when they need help without the interference of the NYPD. When a rising singer called Night is kidnapped, music manager Ivy Greenwich hires D Hunter to deliver the ransom. Mission is accomplished, but Greenwich isn't finished with Hunter. Greenwich has devised a tried-and-true plan to transform Bridgette Haze's mega-pop-star image from the tween-bubblegum-pop genre to an edgier urban one: bring her to New York City where she can be seen at the right night spots and work with leading hip-hop producers. But the recent near tragedy with Night convinces him that she'll need extra protection. D isn't really in the bodyguard business anymore, but he needs the money. So he reluctantly agrees, never expecting he'll need to fight both a surprising sexual attraction to Haze and the determination of one who is seeking revenge for betrayals of the past. Set in the hip-hop clubs and shrouded secret hearts of New York City, The Accidental Hunter is a page-turning adventure.

A D Hunter Mystery

The Accidental Hunter

With a new Introduction by the author, Hip Hop America is the definitive account of the society-altering collision between black youth culture and the mass media. Winner of the American Book Award.

Hip Hop America

Thriller takes us back to a time in 1982 when Michael Jackson was king of the charts, breaking the color barrier on MTV, heralding the age of video, and becoming the ultimate representation of the crossover dreams of Motown's Berry Gordy, who helped launch Jackson's career with the Jackson 5. In this incisive and revealing examination of the making and meaning of Thriller, Nelson George illuminates the brilliant creative process (and work ethic) of Jackson and producer Quincy Jones, deftly exploring the larger context of the music, life, and seismic impact of Michael Jackson on three generations. All this from a groundbreaking journalist and cultural critic who was there. George questions whether the phenomenon Jackson became is even possible today. He revisits his early writings on the King of Pop and examines not only the stunning success of Thriller but also Jackson as an artist, public figure, and racial enigma—including the details surrounding his death on June 25, 2009.

The Musical Life of Michael Jackson

Thriller

From this award-winning author comes the story of a once-confirmed bachelor whose practice of juggling woman is thrown into question when his best friend gets married. Deciding it may be time to follow his mother's advice and settle down, Rodney compiles a list of ex-girlfriends and sets out in search of three missed chances at matrimony. The question is: will any one of the trio let this love 'em and leave 'em man back into her life? A best-seller in the US.

One Woman Short

Derek Harper, a young African-American man who dreams of becoming a successful songwriter, pursues his ambitions amid the colorful fast lane of the 1980s music industry, with only his parents to act as his conscience during his odyssey. By the author of Urban Romance.

The Life and Times of a One-hit Wonder

Seduced

In this hard-boiled mystery, a Brooklyn bodyguard-turned-P.I. investigates a case involving funk, R&B, and his grandfather’s murder. Ex-bodyguard D Hunter heads to the City of Angels on a very dark mission when his grandfather, businessman Daniel “Big Danny” Hunter, is shot dead in a drive-by. Why would someone execute a grocery store owner? D soon finds there was more to Big Danny’s life than selling loaves of bread. The old man was deeply involved with Dr. Funk, a legendary musical innovator who has become a mysterious recluse. To Funk and Die in L.A. is set largely in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Crenshaw, Koreatown, and Pico-Union—areas where Black, Asian, and Latino cultures intersect away from the glamour of Hollywood—and echoes of the 1992 riots play a significant role in D’s investigation. In the tradition of Raymond Chandler and Walter Mosley, D Hunter rides through the mean streets of Los Angeles seeking truth and not always finding justice. Praise for To Funk and Die in L.A. “A supercharged spin through the dynamic, ever-changing neighborhoods of urban LA. Nelson George’s new book is full of music, secrets, heart, and more than a little heartbreak.” —Nina Revoyr, author of A Student of History “Inventive and well-written . . . I really enjoyed To Funk and Die in LA.” —Don Winslow, New York Times–bestselling author of City on Fire “George explores funk in his fine fourth novel featuring D Hunter, New York bodyguard and, by virtue of his jobs and interests, music historian . . . . As usual, George writes with knowledge and passion about the evolution of Black music.” —Publishers Weekly “Critic and journalist George knows the streets and his work has a gritty feel that will hold readers’ attention. Name-dropping of 1970s and 1980s performers such as the Dazz Band, Shalamar, and Chaka Khan adds spice to this well-crafted mystery.” —Library Journal

To Funk and Die in LA

"We're big fans of music mysteries here atCrimeReads, so I'm psyched for the new Nelson George...A complex mystery that should serve as the perfect quarantine distraction." --CrimeReads, One of the Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2020 "This dark, rollicking mystery is the fifth in George's D Hunter series...D's point of view, his self-confessed vulnerability, and his deep appreciation for music, from R&B on, make this thoroughly satisfying reading." --Booklist "A showcase of different approaches to values, business, and hip-hop seen through a lens that feels personal." --Kirkus Reviews "Nelson George'sThe Darkest Hearts: A D Hunter Mystery stars a talent-manager protagonist encountering human trafficking, reactionary politics, and a dead body near the Canarsie Pier." --Library Journal, selected by Barbara Hoffert as a 2020 Title to Watch In the fifth book of Nelson George's D Hunter mystery series, the eponymous former bodyguard has moved full-time to Los Angeles, becoming a talent manager and trying to put his past in New York City behind him. Business is good for D Hunter: he has signed a hot Atlanta rapper named Lil Daye for management and negotiated a huge endorsement for Daye with a liquor brand. It's a big payday for both of them. Along the way, D finds out that Samuel Kurtz, the liquor company's CEO, has some unsavory sexual habits and deeply reactionary political views. D worries that he has sold his soul and wonders what to do about it. Back in Brooklyn, a body has been found in the waters near the Canarsie Pier, a body that connects D and the retired hit man Ice to incidents from back inThe Plot Against Hip Hop, the second book in the series. Because of this discovery, an FBI agent wants to speak to D, which is making Ice nervous. And Ice is not a man you want worrying about you. Meanwhile in London, Serene Powers, a vigilante and sometime collaborator with D, breaks up a human trafficking ring. In the process, she makes some new, unlikely allies. When Serene returns to the US, D asks her for assistance with a sensitive and volatile matter in Atlanta involving Lil Daye, his wife, his mistress, and a thug on his payroll named Ant. The Darkest Hearts is a crime-fiction novel that reflects the challenges of being a black businessperson in an era when the rules of entrepreneurship are constantly shifting due to technological advancements and an increasingly polarized political environment.

The Darkest Hearts

An examination of African American imagery and participation in American movies includes a timeline of important African American events in film history and discusses the achievements of noted celebrities.

Reflections on African-Americans and the Movies

Blackface

From Nelson George, supervising producer and writer of the hit Netflix series, "The Get Down," this passionate and provocative book tells the complete story of black music in the last fifty years, and in doing so outlines the perilous position of black culture within white American society. In a fast-paced narrative, Nelson George’s book chronicles the rise and fall of “race music” and its transformation into the R&B that eventually dominated the airwaves only to find itself diluted and submerged as crossover music.

The Death of Rhythm and Blues

The Most Complete Listing Ever

Top of the Charts

A social critic and author describes the splintering of African-American culture in the 1980s, examining the dichotomy between influential blacks and the rampant drug use and crime that ravaged once-vital black neighborhoods.

The Explosive, Contradictory, Triumphant, and Tragic 1980s as Experienced by African Americans (previously Known as Blacks and Before that Negroes)

Post-soul Nation

Links the history of race relations to the history of basketball by reviewing the era of the first Black teams, the first integration of teams, and the innovations that Black players have brought to the game

Black Men and Basketball

Elevating the Game

A best-seller on Essence magazine's "Blackboard" list follows the unlikely romance between two African Americans from different worlds, a playboy music critic from Brooklyn and a classy career woman from Connecticut. Reprint.

Urban Romance

Ex-bodyguard D Hunter is swept into the City of Angels on a dark mission to find his mysterious grandfather's killer.

Nelson George

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