The second volume of the critical and commercial juggernaut documents the years 1981 to 1983, when hip-hop made a big transition from the parks and rec rooms to downtown clubs and vinyl records. The performers made moves to separate themselves from the paying customers by dressing more and more flamboyantly, until a young group called RUN-DMC came on the scene to take things back to the streets! This period also saw hits like Afrika Bambaataa’s Planet Rock, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s The Message, and the documentary Wildstyle (the director of which contributes the book’s introduction), and superstars like NWA, The Beastie Boys, Doug E. Fresh, KRS One, Ice-T, and early Public Enemy. This volume also features cameos by Dolemite, LL Cool J, Notorious B.I.G., and New Kids on the Block!