When Chickenheads Come to Roost / Joan Morgan / 1999

When Chickenheads Come to Roost / Joan Morgan / 1999

The book that made hip-hop feminism a thing that came out in 1999. Hip-hop has changed a lot and some of this book is outdated. There’s some really troubling views about abortion rights and Morgan’s homegirls give her terrible advice about relationships. That said, it was a fascinating dip into the cultural milieu at the time and the conversations some Black women were having about the cultural. The focus on romance surprised me some, but offered meaningful insights. Much more memoir than music critic, but I can see why this book mattered so much. Lots of intergenerational and gendered trauma unpacked here. 2.5/5