Description:
In the first anthology of her work, groundbreaking New York music journalist Amy Linden shares revealing conversations with some of the biggest names in hip-hop.
In what amounts to a rough draft of musical history, Linden goes deep in features about numerous artists from the worlds of rap and R&B, getting the straight story -- in their own words -- from many of the greats. And she displays the breadth of her work in articles and reviews about punk rock legends and, surprisingly, Barney the Dinosaur and the circus.
As a regular contributor to such leading publications as XXL, The Source, Vibe, Spin, The New York Times and Rolling Stone, Linden was a rarity in hip-hop journalism: a white single mother covering predominately Black music. But, as her frank interviews depict, she became a trusted member of that musical community, a knowledgeable and discerning judge of artists and their music. Her writing about female artists is especially noteworthy.
Among the highlights here:
- An in-depth conversation with Salt-n-Pepa
- A revealing discussion of sexual identity with Queen Latifah
- An entire section of pieces on the late Amy Winehouse, including a rare interview with her
- Painful testimony from rap pioneers Run-DMC about the group's internal crisis
- A frank one-on-three with the members of TLC
- A challenging interview with LL Cool J
- A lengthy monologue from Jay-Z
- Highway to Hell: My Life on the Road With the Dead Kennedys
- Actor Tony Danza explaining his surprising connection to Tupac Shakur
- Liner notes for a Rod Stewart reissue
- Steven Tyler, Chris Martin and Adam Levine detailing their taste in rap music
Amy Linden's writing is loaded with authority, courage and humor. Pretty Fly for a White Girl is an important addition to the literature of hip-hop. But it is also evidence of a great career in journalism by a woman who brushed off the professional barriers that faced her and did the work she wanted to do.
Brief description:
Amy Linden is a nationally recognized music critic and journalist whose work has appeared in The Source, XXL, People, The New York Times, The Daily News, Mojo, Entertainment Weekly, Vibe, Essence, Spin, Rolling Stone and Billboard.
In the mid-'90s, she was a panelist on the weekly VH1 show Four on the Floor and served for many years on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominating committee. She was a consultant for the 2015 Oscar-winning Amy Winehouse documentary Amy and has contributed to several anthologies, most notably Trouble Girls: The Rolling Stone Book of Women in Rock, Rip It Up: The Black Experience in Rock and Roll and Rock She Wrote.
Linden, who is now an educator in New York City, co-hosts and co-produces the long-running pop culture podcast ImmaLetYouFinish, which is part of the Pantheon Podcast network.