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'Can't Stop, Won't Stop': A History of Hip-Hop

"Gangsta" rap stars 50 Cent and The Game called a truce this week, ending a highly publicized rap feud that added to the public notion that the hip-hop genre often glorifies violence.

But hip-hop didn't always have a violent reputation. In fact, for many in the African-American community it was a revolution and a redemption.

Author Jeff Chang chronicles the history of rap in his book Can't Stop, Won't Stop. He talks to correspondent Farai Chideya about the cultural, ethnic and artistic roots of rap -- now a genre three decades old -- and how it continues to transform the world of popular music.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.