John Morrison is a writer, producer, and DJ from Philadelphia. For the last 25 years, Morrison has worked as an independent music journalist, documenting and reporting on Philly hip-hop culture. His writing has appeared in the Philadelphia City Paper, NPR Music, The Wire, Red Bull Music Academy, Bandcamp Daily, and more. An in-demand on-air personality, Morrison regularly appears on NPR’s All Songs Considered and The World Cafe as well as NPR’s Tiny Desk Top Shelf series.Morrison is currently writing a major book on the history of hip-hop culture in Philadelphia. As hip-hop’s first major stronghold outside of New York, Morrison’s book will fill in some crucial blank spaces about the dawn of hip-hop and its eventual nationwide spread.Ashley Oken is an entertainment journalist whose work has appeared in MTV News, New Noise Magazine, ELLE magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. Passionate about representing rising artists in the rock scene—especially BIPOC, female, and queer artists—Oken hosted the podcast A Million Emo Thoughts, an artist interview and music commentary show. Additionally, Oken is a screenwriter and teacher; she penned the script for PBS’s music series Soundfield, edited scripts for various TV shows and web series, and taught college-level courses on music journalism and profile writing. When she’s not covering the latest in celebrity and rock music or writing scripts, she can be found at a concert, trying new restaurants, or enjoying a big bowl of pasta.

• Foreword IntroductionCHAPTER 1: Motownphilly CHAPTER 2: A Unique Attraction CHAPTER 3: The East Coast Family CHAPTER 4: Cooleyhighharmony CHAPTER 5: End Of The Road CHAPTER 6: A Joyous Sound CHAPTER 7: II CHAPTER 8: What’s Next? CHAPTER 9: We’re Just Vibin’ CHAPTER 10: All Around The World CHAPTER 11: Full Circle CHAPTER 12: Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya Conclusion Timeline Discography Acknowledgments About the Author Image Credits Sources Index

John Morrison is a writer, producer, and DJ from Philadelphia. For the last 25 years, Morrison has worked as an independent music journalist, documenting and reporting on Philly hip-hop culture. His writing has appeared in the Philadelphia City Paper, NPR Music, The Wire, Red Bull Music Academy, Bandcamp Daily, and more. An in-demand on-air personality, Morrison regularly appears on NPR’s All Songs Considered and The World Cafe as well as NPR’s Tiny Desk Top Shelf series.Morrison is currently writing a major book on the history of hip-hop culture in Philadelphia. As hip-hop’s first major stronghold outside of New York, Morrison’s book will fill in some crucial blank spaces about the dawn of hip-hop and its eventual nationwide spread.Ashley Oken is an entertainment journalist whose work has appeared in MTV News, New Noise Magazine, ELLE magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. Passionate about representing rising artists in the rock scene—especially BIPOC, female, and queer artists—Oken hosted the podcast A Million Emo Thoughts, an artist interview and music commentary show. Additionally, Oken is a screenwriter and teacher; she penned the script for PBS’s music series Soundfield, edited scripts for various TV shows and web series, and taught college-level courses on music journalism and profile writing. When she’s not covering the latest in celebrity and rock music or writing scripts, she can be found at a concert, trying new restaurants, or enjoying a big bowl of pasta.

• Foreword IntroductionCHAPTER 1: Motownphilly CHAPTER 2: A Unique Attraction CHAPTER 3: The East Coast Family CHAPTER 4: Cooleyhighharmony CHAPTER 5: End Of The Road CHAPTER 6: A Joyous Sound CHAPTER 7: II CHAPTER 8: What’s Next? CHAPTER 9: We’re Just Vibin’ CHAPTER 10: All Around The World CHAPTER 11: Full Circle CHAPTER 12: Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya Conclusion Timeline Discography Acknowledgments About the Author Image Credits Sources Index

John Morrison is a writer, producer, and DJ from Philadelphia. For the last 25 years, Morrison has worked as an independent music journalist, documenting and reporting on Philly hip-hop culture. His writing has appeared in the Philadelphia City Paper, NPR Music, The Wire, Red Bull Music Academy, Bandcamp Daily, and more. An in-demand on-air personality, Morrison regularly appears on NPR’s All Songs Considered and The World Cafe as well as NPR’s Tiny Desk Top Shelf series.Morrison is currently writing a major book on the history of hip-hop culture in Philadelphia. As hip-hop’s first major stronghold outside of New York, Morrison’s book will fill in some crucial blank spaces about the dawn of hip-hop and its eventual nationwide spread.Ashley Oken is an entertainment journalist whose work has appeared in MTV News, New Noise Magazine, ELLE magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. Passionate about representing rising artists in the rock scene—especially BIPOC, female, and queer artists—Oken hosted the podcast A Million Emo Thoughts, an artist interview and music commentary show. Additionally, Oken is a screenwriter and teacher; she penned the script for PBS’s music series Soundfield, edited scripts for various TV shows and web series, and taught college-level courses on music journalism and profile writing. When she’s not covering the latest in celebrity and rock music or writing scripts, she can be found at a concert, trying new restaurants, or enjoying a big bowl of pasta.

• Foreword IntroductionCHAPTER 1: Motownphilly CHAPTER 2: A Unique Attraction CHAPTER 3: The East Coast Family CHAPTER 4: Cooleyhighharmony CHAPTER 5: End Of The Road CHAPTER 6: A Joyous Sound CHAPTER 7: II CHAPTER 8: What’s Next? CHAPTER 9: We’re Just Vibin’ CHAPTER 10: All Around The World CHAPTER 11: Full Circle CHAPTER 12: Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya Conclusion Timeline Discography Acknowledgments About the Author Image Credits Sources Index