“Wu-Tang is for the children”

The late Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s (ODB) famous five words resurfaced in May when Harlem-born-and-bred rapper A$AP Rocky and Rihanna announced their son’s name to the public by posting family photos on Instagram captioned, “‘WU TANG IZ 4 DA CHUREN 🤲’ HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY TO MY 1st BORN. RZA❤️." 

Hip-hop heads that came up in the nineties know that the musical power couple’s son isn’t the first of his name, but rather a nod to fellow New York rapper and producer, RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. Zooming out further, one can also see that the long-awaited pop culture moment (baby RZA’s name was not revealed until his first birthday) represents one hip-hop generation paying respect to their legendary predecessors — coincidently on the year of hip-hop’s 50th-anniversary celebrations. 

Journeying Into Music and Culture

For Elizabeth, hip-hop is the soundtrack of her life. Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, she was one of those kids bumping the gritty and intellectual lyricism of ODB, RZA and the like from the collective’s album “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).” More hits by Lil’ Kim to Busta Rhymes playing between 92QJams and WPGC 95.5 FM — the premier hip-hop radio stations in Baltimore and the broader DMV area, respectively — also doubled up as many of Elizabeth’s memorable summertime anthems. 

Elizabeth’s love for hip-hop unsurprisingly found a place in her career as an accomplished author and music journalist. Though lyricism was always important to her, and she wrote poetry as early as thirteen years old, Elizabeth credits her career in musical and cultural criticism to a music history class she took during college. Two college essays on women in classical music instilled confidence in Elizabeth to write about diverse topics for VICE Magazine, Ms. Magazine, Bitch Media and more. Elizabeth has since made her mark in the world of literature, jazz music commentary and international feminist reporting. She has also shared panels with esteemed journalists, including the late godfather of hip-hop journalism, Greg Tate, whom Elizabeth describes as a mentor.

Elizabeth’s latest project, “A Child’s Introduction to Hip-Hop: The Beats, Rhymes, and Rhythms of a Musical Revolution,” was released on August 8, 2023, and is dedicated to the cultural giant that was Tate. The age-appropriate book is part of the well-loved series “A Child’s Introduction”, which “brings young readers ages 8 through 12 into creative worlds, sparking imagination and instilling a lifelong curiosity about the arts and sciences.” Featuring illustrations by Detroit native Markia Jenai, Elizabeth brings her musical expertise and affinity for hip-hop to young readers and parents alike who want to learn how a Bronx-based genre evolved into a worldwide cultural force that has forever changed the shape of music. 

A Closer Look at “A Child’s Introduction to Hip-Hop”

Though hip-hop enthusiasts are an obvious audience for her latest book release, Elizabeth says no prior knowledge of the genre is required for readers to dive in. She wrote the book to be universally accessible, with her “inner child in mind.” While Elizabeth recognizes that readers may or may not have listened to hip-hop music before reading her book, she firmly believes young minds still have much to gain from the remarkable story of the genre’s evolution into a global cultural phenomenon, over a mere five decades. 

“History is important, and music tells history,” Elizabeth tells The Counterbalance. “When we’re not aware of what came before us, or where our source of culture comes from, how can we focus on the present and create in the future?”

Elizabeth’s book ensures readers understand all facets of hip-hop’s origins. Before the book visually transports us to a 1973 Bronx, N.Y. to discuss the birth of hip-hop during a block party hosted by DJ Kool Herc, Elizabeth connects hip-hop's roots to “the immersive beats, rhythms and hymns created by African diaspora and enslaved Black people across the United States,” when musical instruments were not readily accessible.

The book then details a broad chronological history of hip-hop, covering early heroes like The Sugar Hill Gang, Kurtis Blow, and Run D.M.C., to modern-day titans like Kanye West, Cardi B and Kendrick Lamar. She also dedicates sections to “Women in Hip-Hop,” “West Coast Hip-Hop” and “The Growth of Southern Hip-Hop,” which are more artist-centered and less time bound chapters. Interactive activities punctuate the book throughout, including a pull-out poster for kids to color and mini-projects that draw from hip-hop’s founding elements, ultimately designed to offer “bonding opportunities for families,” Elizabeth says. 

Additionally, Elizabeth not only explains essential hip-hop terminology like “E.P.” and “platinum,” but also words such as “feminist,” and important figures like Malcolm X. When asked why it mattered that she defined terminology that transcended music, Elizabeth reminds The Counterbalance that hip-hop is inherently political: it’s evident in its intersections with other mediums like film, fashion and more. “You can’t talk about Public Enemy without mentioning Spike Lee; Queen Latifah without pan-Africanism; or KRS-One without Malcolm X,” she says. 

“Rappers, in particular, were really serious about telling the reality of Black life because the White culture was so removed from the police brutality, discrimination, and desolation that Black people experienced.” Elizabeth wanted to ensure the book’s readers, children and parents,  were receiving “the reality and the truth.” 

At the time of our conversation in late August, Elizabeth felt grateful about her latest children’s book release. She’s honored to push the culture forward on the genre’s 50th birthday. In the same way that the Wu-Tang Clan inspired A$AP Rocky and Tate influenced Elizabeth, from her book, she hopes young readers are "inspired to thrive.”

From hip-hop’s ongoing evolution, young kids can draw ample stories of dreamers who look like them and made something out of nothing — using their inherent gifts to inevitably connect hip-hop music to the Bronx and the Bronx with the world. 

Who's to say the youth of today can’t do the same?

“A Child's Introduction to Hip-Hop: The Beats, Rhymes, and Roots of a Musical Revolution” by Jordannah Elizabeth is available wherever books are sold. Stay up to date with Elizabeth’s new projects below.