It is the spring of 1989 in New York City when Jill Dodge, a post-punk rocker from Texas, finally gets her big promotion at Mega Big Records. She is thrust into a race to find a gritty, urban rapper before the Gangsta trend passes their label by. As Jill and her mostly middle-class coworkers search for the next big rap star, they fluctuate between alliances and rivalries, tripping over the stereotypes of race, class, and musical genre. They work to promote their current roster of acts as well as the new rap artist they sign to a contract. It turns out, he may not be what they expected. Full of original lyrics and wit, "Start With the Backbeat" is a compelling examination of the nuances of class, race, and culture in America which are sometimes ridiculously serious."Rating: 3.75
For the most part, I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked the musical aspect of it. I appreciated the references to poop culture and I also loved that it took place in the 80s when rap was morphing into what I was familiar with in the 90s- gangsta rap. The moral of the story wasn't hard to figure out but the story was a little too zany for me. There were times where I didn't know where it was going or details I didn't think were necessary, hat could have been left out.
Overall, I fount this story relatable and I think this is a genre that I can see myself reading more from. This is my first "musical novel" and I think it's genius to incorporate music into a book (although I know Colleen Hoover was the first that I can't think where I read it). I recommend his book if you're in a mood to get inspired to write a song or even if you want to experience something new and if you want to be entertained.
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