Esteemed rap journalist Soren Baker has authored his first book, The Music Library: The History of Rap and Hip-Hop. The book, published by Thomson Gale, part of the Thomson Corporation, is an overview of the evolution of hip-hop culture and rap music geared toward middle school and high school students.

It includes seven chapters (“The Roots of Hip-Hop Culture,” “Hip-Hop Gains Momentum,” “The Golden Era of Rap,” “Gangster Rap,” “The Rap Business Explodes,” “The Rise of the South and of the DJ” and “Hip-Hop: A Global Force”). The Music Library: The History of Rap and Hip-Hop also features several sidebars per chapter.

“It is an honor to have been able to write this book,” says Baker, the Senior Editor of The Source and a writer for the Los Angeles Times, Scratch and Down, among other publications. “Hip-hop and rap have been integral parts of my life since I was about 10 or 11 years old.  I feel blessed to be a part of the culture and to have had the opportunity to help explain the culture’s origins to a national, and hopefully, international audience.”

Hip-hop and rap artists Afrika Bambaataa, Grand Wizard Theodore, Mary J. Blige, Schoolly D, QD3, Diddy, MC Lyte, Fabolous, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Layzie Bone, Tupac (2Pac), Chingy, the Outlawz, Yukmouth, David Banner, Eminem and Lil Jon are among those quoted in The History of Rap and Hip-Hop.

The Music Library: The History of Rap and Hip-Hop is currently available in school and public libraries across the country. The book can be found on Thomson Gale’s Web site ( www.gale.com ) and at traditional and online retailers, including Barnes & Noble, Borders and Amazon.

Soren Baker also guest lectured at Jerry Heller’s “The Hip-Hop Nation: From Kingston to Compton” class at UCLA in early May.