In its early days, rap was understood as the poetry of the "inner city," which usually meant New York. Few expected anything as hard-edged as gangsta rap to emerge from Los Angeles, home of surf and sun. Felicia Viator tells the story of LA's self-styled "ghetto reporters," whose music forced America to see an urban crisis it preferred to ignore.
In its early days, rap was understood as the poetry of the "inner city," which usually meant New York. Few expected anything as hard-edged as gangsta ...
