First Chapter, “Check Out My Melody: How To Listen To Rap Music”

This is the first chapter of my work-in-progress book, called “Check Out My Melody: How To Listen To Music”. It sets out how the rest of the book will proceed. If you would buy it, let me know! You can comment, or like my facebook page here.

Martin Connor is a music teacher & writer from Philadelphia, PA, with a music degree of high distinction from Duke University who is currently studying for a master’s degree at Brandeis University in Boston, MA, while focusing his research on the vocal melodies of the rap genre. He has contributed freelance articles to HipHopDX, Complex, and Pigeons and Planes, and had multiple articles from his website, www.RapAnalysis.com go viral on BET, The Source, XXL, and MTV. He teaches rap lessons online through the music school LessonFace, and has a book, The Artistry Of Rap Music, forthcoming from the McFarland Publishing House, scheduled for release in late 2017, as a follow-up to his 2014 contribution to their anthology "Eminem & Rap, Poetry, Race." He welcomes all comments, compliments, insults, and restaurant suggestions at [email protected].

16 Comments

  1. Put up previews of these chapters and start taking donations to help fund the writing of the book (publishing costs, etc). Maybe even make a youtube video on put it on KickStarter! Great idea and you are writing very well.

  2. i like this, you write well and the content is obviously interesting to someone who's really into hiphop.

    could you explain this to me though: "When one of the most celebrated pieces of music in the 20th century is five minutes of silence"

    what piece of music are you talking about?

  3. I've been wanting to read a book like this ever since I started taking rap seriously. Also, what I've read of your work so far has been brilliant.

    Best of luck!

  4. I'd be very interested in purchasing this book. I've recently started REALLY listening to hip-hop and rap and I'd love to read something like this. Great work so far, keep it up.

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