Getting Started

This select bibliography can be used to identify full-text information online, books, newspaper and periodical articles, and encyclopedia entries. A few good starting points are:

Biography Reference Bank
LOCATION: Library Databases

Full-text biographical profiles of people from antiquity to the present.

Biography Resource Center
LOCATION: Library Databases

A comprehensive database of biographical information on more than one million people from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas. The database includes entries from the following directories, which are also available in print: Contemporary Black Biography, Notable Black American Men, Notable Black American Women, the St. James Guide to Black Artists, and Who's Who Among African Americans.

Black Studies Center
LOCATION: Library Databases

This site provides historical and current material for researching the past, present and future of African Americans, the wider African Diaspora, and Africa itself. It is comprised of several cross-searchable component databases including the Schomburg Studies on the Black Experience, International Index to Black Periodicals (IIBP), the Chicago Defender (1910-1975), ProQuest Dissertations for Black Studies, and the Black Literature Index.

DELCAT
LOCATION: Internet (http://delcat.udel.edu)

The University of Delaware online catalog includes entries for books, journals, databases, and other research materials in the University of Delaware Library. For additional information on finding African American biographical information in DELCAT, see Searching DELCAT and Library of Congress Subject Headings, the final sections of this guide.

Ethnic NewsWatch
LOCATION: Library Databases

A comprehensive, full-text database of the newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic press. It provides a rich collection of articles, editorials, and reviews with a broad diversity of perspectives often at variance with the mainstream media. Coverage is from 1985 to the present.

General OneFile
LOCATION: Library Databases

An online database which provides references and/or abstracts to articles from more than 3,000 full-text general interest, popular periodicals. It also provides New York Times articles from 1995 to the present as well as audio files and transcripts of National Public Radio (NPR) programs from 1990 to the present

International Index to Music Periodicals (IIMP)
LOCATION: Library Databases

An index to several hundred music periodicals, IIMP also indexes feature music articles and obituaries appearing in the New York Times and the Washington Post.

LexisNexis Academic
LOCATION: Library Databases

Full-text information from newspapers around the United States and the world. The database also provides an option to search "Ethnic News" sources, as well as transcripts of television news programs.

Additional Newspaper and Periodical Indexes

Below are a few additional sources that can help you locate articles in newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals.

Academic OneFile
LOCATION: Library Databases

An online database which provides references and/or abstracts to articles from more than 8,000 scholarly and general interest periodicals. It also provides the full text of many articles, as well as podcasts and transcripts from NPR and CNN.

America: History and Life
LOCATION: Library Databases

A database (1982 to the present) covering scholarly journal articles, book reviews, and dissertations in United States and Canadian history. A printed version which covers 1964-1993 is also available in the Reference Department.

Sociological Abstracts
LOCATION: Library Databases

An electronic index (1974 to the present) with abstracts which covers journal, dissertations, and unpublished conference papers in sociology, criminal justice, social work and related social science disciplines.

General Reference Sources

The following dictionaries, encyclopedias and guides may assist you in beginning your research.

Bogdanov, Vladimir et al. All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap & Hip-Hop. San Francisco, CA: Backbeat Books, 2003.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref ML156.4.R27 A45 2003)

This reference work includes brief biographical sketches, discographies and sound recording reviews.

Bynoe, Yvonne. Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2006.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref ML102.R27 B96 2006)

An encyclopedia that provides brief factual entries on all aspects of hip hop culture, including music, dance and art. Entries on musicians include a discography.

Kearse, Randy. Street Talk: Da Official Guide to Hip-Hop & Urban Slanguage. Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade Books, 2006.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref PE3727.N4 K43 2006)

A dictionary and usage guide that defines hip-hop terms, their geographic origins, and whether they are considered "old school" or "new school".

Nelson, Havelock, and Michael A. Gonzales. Bring the Noise: A Guide to Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture. New York: Harmony Books, 1991.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref ML 3531 .N44 1991)

A collection of brief essays on "old school" hip-hop musicians.

Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 R & B and Hip-Hop Hits. New York: Billboard, 2006.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref ML156.4.B6 W45 2006)

A guide to chart information on the most popular songs and artists.

Internet Sources

The Internet has many useful web sites that can provide biographical information, discographies and general information regarding hip-hop artists. The following are a few that will assist you in beginning your Internet search:

AllHipHop.com
LOCATION: Internet (http://www.allhiphop.com)

A site devoted to delivering the latest news and rumor from the hip-hop community.

Digital Image Collections
LOCATION: Internet (http://www2.lib.udel.edu/eresources/digitalimages)

A collection of image sites that are available to the University of Delaware community. AccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive and Flickr are especially good sources for photographs. This page also includes a link to Google Image Search which can be used to identify additional images on the Internet.

Google Video
LOCATION: Internet (http://video.google.com/)

This search engine retrieves videos from YouTube and other video sites on the Internet.

Hip Hop Research Portal
LOCATION: Internet (http://www.hiphopresearchportal.net)

A site that hosts a searchable database of books, videos and other research materials pertaining to hip hop.

Hiphop Archive Portal
LOCATION: Internet (http://hiphoparchive.org)

Developed by Dr. Marcyliena Morgan of Stanford University, this comprehensive website features news, language (Hiphop Lx), and its Hiphop University which includes courses, conferences and a searchable bibliography of books, videos and other research materials. Parts of the site, such as its One Mic Forum and World Hiphop section, are still under development.

Original Hip-Hop Lyrics Archive
LOCATION: Internet (http://ohhla.com)

A site that provides song lyrics that have been submitted by listeners.

Rap and Hip Hop Sources
LOCATION: Internet (http://www.colum.edu/cbmr/hiphop/)

Compiled by staff at the Center for Black Music Research, this site provides a useful listing of books, databases, journals, articles, and internet sites that can be used in hip hop research.

The Source
LOCATION: Internet (http://www.thesource.com)

Sponsored by the producers of the Source magazine, the site provides feature articles, photos, audio, videos and a blog. Additional articles that were published in the print version of the magazaine may be obtained through the Morris Library InterLibrary Loan service. The articles are indexed in the International Index to Music Periodicals (IIMP).

Urban Dictionary
LOCATION: Internet (http://www.urbandictionary.com)

A site that permits users to submit definitions for contemporary slang words. Unlike more conventional dictionaries, this user-edited site presents varying, and sometimes contradictory, definitions.

Vibe
LOCATION: Internet (http://www.vibe.com)

Founded by jazz musician Quincy Jones, Vibe magazine's web site provides news, videos and music relating to hip-hop, rhythm and blues, and other music genres. Additional articles may be found in the print version of the magazine which is available in the Morris Library (ML 3469 .V46). The articles are indexed in the International Index to Music Periodicals (IIMP).

Wikipedia
LOCATION: Internet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page)

An online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Although this site is very comprehensive and includes entries on lesser-known figures, its informational content should be checked against other sources.

XXL: Hip-Hop on a Higher Level
LOCATION: Internet (http://xxlmag.com)

This magazine's searchable website provides access to some of the articles that have appeared in print, as well as online stories and commentary from readers. The site also has select audio clips.

Searching DELCAT

• To obtain book-length autobiographies and biographies browse DELCAT using the individual's name as a subject. For example, to locate books about Tupac Shakur, you would use the Browse feature of DELCAT, select 'Subject begins with', then type: shakur tupac

• To limit your search to primary source materials, conduct a keyword search using words that pertain to the format of the material. Format terms include: correspondence, diaries, interviews, letters, manuscripts, narratives, papers, sources and speeches. A sample keyword search: rap musicians and interviews

• DELCAT uses the term African Americans when referring to black citizens of the United States and blacks when discussing black people internationally.

• If a book contains biographical information on more than one person, it may not be possible to find that book in DELCAT by searching under the individual's name. Such books, which are referred to as "collective biographies," can be found under the Library of Congress subject heading African Americans--biography. To retrieve collective biographies use the Browse feature in DELCAT, select 'Subject begins with', then type: african americans--biography

• If you are interested in finding biographical information on African Americans in a particular career or subject area, use the Browse feature in DELCAT, select 'Subject begins with', then enter subject headings that refer to that career/subject area. For example, information on African American writers can be found in DELCAT by entering: african american musicians--biography. If you do not know the exact Library of Congress Subject Heading, conduct a keyword DELCAT using terms that depict your topic. For example, to retrieve books about African American writers, you may use the Keyword option in DELCAT, and select 'Keywords anywhere' and enter: african american* and (musicians or rappers) and biography

  NOTE: The "*" in the searching examples above denotes truncation and allows you to retrieve words with varying word endings. For example, biograph* would retrieve the terms biographical, biographies and biography.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

If you are interested in a certain career and/or subject area, you may browse DELCAT by using subject headings that refer to that career. For assistance in selecting headings to locate books, refer to the Library of Congress Subject Headings or ask a Reference Librarian. Below is a sample list of subject headings you might use:

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