“The fandom driving the magazine is infectious, and the best pieces are simply essential.... A large part of Anthology’s draw, as with Wax Poetics the magazine, is how gorgeous it looks: Many pieces come with lovingly reproduced album covers and 45 labels, arrayed neatly like so much recordcollector porn.” —The Onion A.V. Club Wax Poetics Anthology, Volume 1, the first book from the esteemed music journal showcasing everyone from jazz and Hip Hop heavyweights to soul and funk musicians, gathers articles from their first five issues into an attractive hardbound edition filled with vintage photos and album art. Including profiles of the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, funk drummers Clyde Stubblefield and John “Jab’O” Starks, Wild Style director Charlie Ahearn, the late jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus, and many more, this first installment of the Wax Poetics Anthology is a must-have for record collectors and music connoisseurs alike. First published in December 2001, Brooklyn-born Wax Poetics hit newsstands with a new vision for music journalism, creating a bridge between the past and present of Hip Hop, jazz, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and Latin music. Although originally created for a concentrated market of music aficionados, the magazine’s audience has grown exponentially, making musical anthropologists out of average music listeners and spawning a soul renaissance, complete with comeback tours and sophomore efforts. Wax Poetics illuminates the dark corners of our sonic past, while also striving to give new and innovative artists the credit they truly deserve.

Wax Poetics Anthology Volume 1

Arts & Photography

The Staff of Wax Poetics

Music

Wax Poetics Books

“Reading Wax Poetics, Brooklyn’s glossy, reverent, visually immaculate zine dedicated to funk, soul, hip hop, and the other obsessions of crate-diggers worldwide, is enough to make you wish neither compact discs nor the Internet had ever been invented.” —The Village Voice Cover Story: Album Cover Art, the second book from celebrated music mag Wax Poetics, vividly explores an element of music culture that has withered with the advent of MP3s and digital downloading. Vinyl records tell their stories visually as much as they do aurally, and the record cover—eye candy for the music lover—speaks a language rooted in the environment and era of the music itself. Cover Story is a coffee-table ready collection of rare, unique, and inspired album covers, selected by a team of world-renowned DJs, writers, and collectors. First published in December 2001, Brooklyn-born Wax Poetics hit newsstands with a new vision for music journalism, creating a bridge between the past and present of Hip Hop, jazz, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and Latin music. Although originally created for a concentrated market of music aficionados, the magazine’s audience has grown exponentially, making musical anthropologists out of average music listeners and spawning a soul renaissance, complete with comeback tours and sophomore effor ts. Wax Poetics illuminates the dark corners of our sonic past, while also striving to give new and innovative artists the credit they truly deserve.

Cover Story: Album Cover Art

The special-edition reprint of Wax Poetics Magazine Issue 50--our bestselling issue ever--featuring Prince on the cover, with features on Prince and the Revolution; Morris Day and the Time; the Time's guitarist Jesse Johnson; Grand Central: the roots of Prince and Andre Cymone; Prince's jazz side project Madhouse; the Prince side project the Family; early Prince recordings, 94 East; and Questlove's commentary "33 Reasons Why Prince Is Hip-Hop." Also featuring Larry Graham, Blood Orange, Toro y Moi, DJ Quik, and Frank Ocean. This special-edition reprint contains no advertisements.

Wax Poetics Issue 50 (Paperback): The Prince Issue

Biographies & Memoirs

Leeds, Alan

Leeds, Gwen

Thompson, Ahmir QUESTLOVE

Arts & Literature

Author Claude “Paradise” Gray was raised in the South Bronx. He was cofounder of the X Clan, whose 1990 album To the East, Blackwards is an Afrocentric and socio-politically conscious Golden Era hip-hop classic. Prior to that, he was host and entertainment manager for the Manhattan nightclub the Latin Quarter where he was a key figure in transforming it into an historical hip-hop venue. Paradise is also a noted writer, photographer, and hip-hop historian/archivist, as confirmed with this book, No Half Steppin', where his personal collection of photographs and memories—paired with an oral history from some of the club's most famous patrons—tell the story of the most important incubator of talent for the Golden Era of hip-hop. During the mid- to late ’80s, legends were born in that bustling Times Square club—from Stetsasonic, KRS-One, and Eric B. &amp; Rakim to Queen Latifah, Public Enemy, and A Tribe Called Quest. It was the perfect recipe for success for unsigned and up-and-coming artists, as it was the ideal place to be seen and hone your craft—and music-industry A&amp;Rs were on-site to snatch up the hottest rappers. You could walk into the club a nobody and come out a star. No Half Steppin' — An Oral and Pictorial History of New York City Club the Latin Quarter and the Birth of Hip-Hop's Golden Era is 212 pages with over 175 color photographs and flyers from the greatest time in hip-hop history. Oral history by participants Special K and Teddy Tedd, KRS-One, MC Shan, Eric B., DJ Kool Red Alert, Fab 5 Freddy, Just-Ice, Positive K, DJ Clark Kent, Kid, Dana Dane, TR Love, MC Serch, Chuck D, Grand Puba, Sadat X, Pete Nice, Prince Pau, Kurtis Blow, Mike Gee, Daddy-O, Wise, Ced Gee, Big Daddy Kane, Queen Latifah, Kool G Rap, and many many more.

No Half Steppin' (Paperback): An Oral and Pictorial History of New York City Club the Latin Quarter and the Birth of Hip-Hop's Golden Era

Gray, Claude "Paradise"

Pipitone, Giuseppe "u.net"

Photography & Video

The special-edition reprint of Wax Poetics Magazine Issue 50—our bestselling issue ever—featuring Prince on the cover, with features on Prince and the Revolution; Morris Day and the Time; the Time's guitarist Jesse Johnson; Grand Central: the roots of Prince and Andre Cymone; Prince's jazz side project Madhouse; the Prince side project the Family; early Prince recordings, 94 East; and Questlove's commentary "33 Reasons Why Prince Is Hip-Hop." Also featuring Larry Graham, Blood Orange, Toro y Moi, DJ Quik, and Frank Ocean. This special-edition reprint contains no advertisements.

Wax Poetics Issue 50 (Hardcover): The Prince Issue

Author Claude “Paradise” Gray was raised in the South Bronx. He was cofounder of the X Clan, whose 1990 album To the East, Blackwards is an Afrocentric and socio-politically conscious Golden Era hip-hop classic. Prior to that, he was host and entertainment manager for the Manhattan nightclub the Latin Quarter where he was a key figure in transforming it into an historical hip-hop venue. Paradise is also a noted writer, photographer, and hip-hop historian/archivist, as confirmed with this book, No Half Steppin', where his personal collection of photographs and memories—paired with an oral history from some of the club's most famous patrons—tell the story of the most important incubator of talent for the Golden Era of hip-hop.
During the mid- to late ’80s, legends were born in that bustling Times Square club—from Stetsasonic, KRS-One, and Eric B. &amp; Rakim to Queen Latifah, Public Enemy, and A Tribe Called Quest. It was the perfect recipe for success for unsigned and up-and-coming artists, as it was the ideal place to be seen and hone your craft—and music-industry A&amp;Rs were on-site to snatch up the hottest rappers. You could walk into the club a nobody and come out a star.
No Half Steppin' — An Oral and Pictorial History of New York City Club the Latin Quarter and the Birth of Hip-Hop's Golden Era is 212 pages with over 175 color photographs and flyers from the greatest time in hip-hop history. Oral history by participants Special K and Teddy Tedd, KRS-One, MC Shan, Eric B., DJ Kool Red Alert, Fab 5 Freddy, Just-Ice, Positive K, DJ Clark Kent, Kid, Dana Dane, TR Love, MC Serch, Chuck D, Grand Puba, Sadat X, Pete Nice, Prince Pau, Kurtis Blow, Mike Gee, Daddy-O, Wise, Ced Gee, Big Daddy Kane, Queen Latifah, Kool G Rap, and many many more.

No Half Steppin' (Hardcover): An Oral and Pictorial History of New York City Club the Latin Quarter and the Birth of Hip-Hop's Golden Era

Wax Poetics Issue 65 features 21 pages dedicated to A Tribe Called Quest's debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, including an oral history with original founding members Q-Tip, Phife Dawg (in his final interview), Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi, as well as "fifth member" and iconic engineer Bob Power! Rare and classic photos by Ernie Paniccioli and Janette Beckman, as well as pics from the personal collection of Ali Shaheed Muhammad.
Back cover feature explores David Bowie’s time in Philly, recording David Live and much of his R&amp;B masterpiece, Young Americans—at the iconic Sigma Sound Studios used by Gamble &amp; Huff and countless Philly soul acts. The in-depth, 20-page story is told with the help of producer Tony Visconti; pianist Mike Garson; model, muse, and singer Ava Cherry; singer Robin Clark, and her husband, guitarist and collaborator Carlos Alomar. Rare photos of Bowie at Sigma by photographer Dagmar! We also offer a four-page “David in Philly” timeline and a five-page interview with Bowie photographer Steve Schapiro.
Also an in-depth history of England’s "northern soul" club scene with excellent photos documenting the DJs and dancers; organist and “Why Can’t We Live Together” songwriter Timmy Thomas; bassist and jazz-futurist Esperanza Spalding; singer/rapper Anderson .Paak; singer Dornik; and Hawaiian music blog and label Aloha Got Soul.

Wax Poetics Issue 65 (Special-Edition Hardcover): A Tribe Called Quest b/w David Bowie

WILLIAMS, Chris

Amorosi, A. D.

Dodds, Dan

Our new version of the classic Wax Poetics music journal!
Wax Poetics Issue 67 contains all-new content featuring interviews and write-ups on a slew of Prince's albums, including 1978's 'For You,' 1986's 'Parade,' 1987's 'Sign O the Times,' 1988's 'Lovesexy,' 1991's 'Diamonds and Pearls,' and 1995's 'The Gold Experience'—with interviews from engineer Chris Moon, manager Owen Husney, engineer Susan Rogers, producer/engineer David Z, poet Ingrid Chavez, tour manager Alan Leeds, dancer Cat Glover, saxophonist Eric Leeds, guitarist and bandleader Levi Seacer Jr., engineer Michael Koppelman, trombonist Michael B. Nelson, and keyboardist Tommy Barbarella.
Issue 67 also includes standalone interviews with Jill Jones, Andre Cymone, and members of the Revolution: Doctor Fink, Bobby Z., Brown Mark, and Wendy &amp; Lisa.
Also included is 12 pages of album artwork. 118 pages in all. No advertisements.

Wax Poetics Issue 67 (Paperback): The Prince Issue (Vol. 2)

Williams, Professor of History and Head of the School of History Archaeology and Religion Chris

Our new version of the classic Wax Poetics music journal!
Wax Poetics Issue 67 contains all-new content featuring interviews and write-ups on a slew of Prince's albums, including 1978's For You, 1986's Parade, 1987's Sign "O" the Times, 1988's Lovesexy, 1991's Diamonds and Pearls, and 1995's The Gold Experience—with interviews from engineer Chris Moon, manager Owen Husney, engineer Susan Rogers, producer/engineer David Z, poet Ingrid Chavez, tour manager Alan Leeds, dancer Cat Glover, saxophonist Eric Leeds, guitarist and bandleader Levi Seacer Jr., engineer Michael Koppelman, trombonist Michael B. Nelson, and keyboardist Tommy Barbarella.
Issue 67 also includes standalone interviews with Jill Jones, Andre Cymone, and members of the Revolution: Doctor Fink, Bobby Z., Brown Mark, and Wendy &amp; Lisa.
Also included is 12 pages of album artwork. 118 pages in all. No advertisements.

Wax Poetics Issue 67 (Hardcover): The Prince Issue (Vol. 2)

Wax Poetics Issue One: (Paperback Reprint)

Wax Poetics

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