http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/1791367887

Alan Light Papers

The Alan Light Papers span the years 1976 to 2003. The bulk of the collection dates from 1997 to 2002, when Light was editor-in-chief at Spin magazine and working on three book projects: Tupac Shakur, The Vibe History of Hip Hop, and The Skills to Pay the Bills: The Story of the Beastie Boys. The collection predominantly consists of clipped articles and copies of articles, interview audio recordings and transcripts, manuscripts, and correspondence. The collection emphasizes Light's research process, through his extensive research files and interviews, as well as the practicalities of publication, through writer and photograph agreements, budgets, and correspondence between Light and his literary agent Sarah Lazin. The collection also provides insight into Light's editorial style, with handwritten edits, notations, and drafts for The Vibe History of Hip Hop. Seen within a broader context, the research files offer a condensed documentation of the history of hip hop through the 1990s. There is a focus not only on individual rap artists, producers, and record executives, but also on the controversies that surrounded the hip hop world related to violence, sampling rights, and censorship debates.history of hip hop through the 1990s. There is a focus not only on individual rap artists, producers, and record executives, but also on the controversies that surrounded the hip hop world related to violence, sampling rights, and censorship debates.

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