This homage to hip hop aims to celebrate poetry with a beat. It includes 51 selections from 42 different poets and performers, and comes with an audio CD showcasing 30 performances, some with music. The editor's foreword traces the emergence of hip hop with its roots in African-American history through evolving styles of music and vernacular speech patterns. The choice of material is broad ranging, an eclectic mix of classical and modern: from Langston Hughes to Kanye West - not just poems or the occasional prose piece having an obvious affinity to rap. With lively artwork by a variety of illustrators, this anthology invites participation from the reader and also promises fun.