Cultural Writing. African American Studies. For generations, African-Americans have created and driven varied musical genres: gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock & roll, funk, hip hop, and others. Black musical creativity has, in fact, fueled the modern music industry. Given that hip hop music alone generates more than a billion dollars in annual sales, the absence of a major black record company is disturbing. Here, for the first time, is a collection of voices and perspectives that provides a nuanced investigation into this 'structure of stealing.' Editor Norman Kelley (author of THE BIG MANGO and BLACK HEAT, both available from SPD) joins forces with a crew of veteran journalists and principled musicians to examine how black music has been developed, marketed, and distributed within the structure of American capitalism.