Yale to Publish 1000-Page Rap Anthology

While this might have been a bit too heady for our holiday gift guide, Yale University has recently announced that it will publish 'The Anthology of Rap.' The book is billed a 1000-page collegiate text that studies the impact of hip-hop within the African-American community, as well as the current role of rap lyrics as a strand of modern poetry. Yale Publishing mainly focuses on academic texts, so this is yet another indication that hip-hop as gone all the way from the streets to the academy since its birth in the late '70s.

Apparently, the main function of 'The Anthology of Rap' will be as a desk reference guide to some of the most socially important hip-hop singles in history. Including new and old, the Yale Press reports that the book will cover artists as widespread as Queen Latifah, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, M.I.A. and the gangster rap O.G. Ice-T. Think of it as a companion to one of those heavy poetry anthologies you were issued in high school.

The book is edited by Adam Bradley and Andrew DuBois and includes a forward by historian Henry Louis Gates Jr., as well as two afterwords from Chuck D and Common. While we're guessing that Jay-Z's first book 'Decoded' will handily outsell this academic text, the book should serve as a robust reference for anyone that wants to study or write about hip-hop in a serious way.

You can purchase 'The Anthology of Rap' on Nov. 9.

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