Rich, nuanced, and often misunderstood, the history of UK rap is a story of music that refused to stand still. Factoring in socioeconomics, gender, identity, music industry disruption, and innovation, What Do You Call It? charts the art form’s first four decades, beginning when rap landed on our island in the early 1980s. Shaped by sound system culture, inspired by punk, and accelerated by rave, it has evolved from Britcore, UK hip-hop, and trip-hop of the late twentieth century to garage, grime, trap, and drill.
Through cultural theory, historical research, and original interviews with key figures and collaborators in the UK rap scene, from pioneers like Malcolm McLaren, Soul II Soul, Tricky, Roots Manuva, and Roll Deep to modern artists CASISDEAD, Little Simz, Loyle Carner, and Skengdo x AM, that adds a rich human dimension to the story—one that helped change British music and culture forever.
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Selected press reviews from The Wire, Mojo and Wax Poetics.
“Again and again, the rich variety of sounds found within the sprawling landscape of UK rap is highlighted, delivered with a passion and understanding that could only come from a true student of the culture.”
THE WIRE
“Unravels the complicated calculus between hip-hop and its offshoots (UK garage, grime, drill) against a backdrop of resistance (the Met police’s highly controversial Form 696/Operation Domain policies) with mathematical precision and a genuine fan's warmth.”
MOJO (4 STARS)
“Kane builds bridges in a rich musical universe full of heroes and villains—and plot twists. With an inimitable style, he merges culture high and low to bring new meaning to the music. What Do You Call It? is a landmark tome for UK rap music.”
WAX POETICS
“From David Toop's Rap Attack to Jeff Chang’s Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, there have been several great books on hip-hop’s American birthplace. Finally, a history of the UK scene.
FAITH
David Kane is the author of What Do You Call It?, a cultural history of UK rap. He has written about music and popular culture for nearly 15 years. His bylines include Esquire, Dazed, CRACK, The Financial Times, and Wax Poetics magazine. He is also the editor-in-chief of the respected streetwear brand Patta’s bi-annual print magazine.