Although hip hop is now a well-established global music genre and cultural form, its history and current impact have not yet been sufficiently studied. The interdisciplinary contributions to this volume address hip hop's historical and regional struggles for representation of race, gender, generation, place, and language, as well as the tension between authenticity and commercialization. Contributors offer approaches to historicizing hip hop culture, and present new theoretical perspectives and methodological tools for addressing hip hop's global impact. This volume targets not only scholars and students but also resonates with recent public debates about identity politics and cultural appropriation.