Nelson George

"Nelson George's The Darkest Hearts: A D Hunter Mystery stars a talent-manager protagonist encountering human trafficking, reactionary politics, and a dead body near the Canarsie Pier."--Library Journal, selected by Barbara Hoffert as a 2020 Title to WatchPraise for the D Hunter mystery series: "D Hunter is as world weary, yet steadfast, as Philip Marlowe, Spenser, Dave Robicheaux, or Easy Rawlins."--Library Journal (starred review, Pick of the Month)" W]ritten in the spirit of authors such as Walter Mosley and Donald Goines... The book blends music from the past with thug appeal of the present to appeal to young and old alike."--Baltimore Times, on The Lost Treasures of R&B"Inventive and well-written... I really enjoyed To Funk and Die in LA."--Don Winslow, author of SavagesIn the fifth book of Nelson George's D Hunter mystery series, the eponymous former bodyguard has moved full-time to Los Angeles, becoming a talent manager and trying to put his past in New York City behind him. Business is good for D Hunter: he has signed a hot Atlanta rapper named Lil Daye for management and negotiated a huge endorsement for Daye with a liquor brand. It's a big payday for both of them. Along the way, D finds out that Samuel Kurtz, the liquor company's CEO, has some unsavory sexual habits and deeply reactionary political views. D worries that he has sold his soul and wonders what to do about it. Back in Brooklyn, a body has been found in the waters near the Canarsie Pier, a body that connects D and the retired hit man Ice to incidents from back in The Plot Against Hip Hop, the second book in the series. Because of this discovery, an FBI agent wants to speak to D, which is making Ice nervous. And Ice is not a man you want worrying about you. Meanwhile in London, Serene Powers, a vigilante and sometime collaborator with D, breaks up a human trafficking ring. In the process, she makes some new, unlikely allies. When Serene returns to the US, D asks her for assistance with a sensitive and volatile matter in Atlanta involving Lil Daye, his wife, his mistress, and a thug on his payroll named Ant. The Darkest Hearts, is a crime-fiction novel that reflects the challenges of being a black businessperson in an era when the rules of entrepreneurship are constantly shifting due to technological advancements and an increasingly polarized political environment.

"We're big fans of music mysteries here at CrimeReads, so I'm psyched for the new Nelson George... A complex mystery that should serve as the perfect quarantine distraction." --CrimeReads, One of the Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2020"This dark, rollicking mystery is the fifth in George's D Hunter series... D's point of view, his self-confessed vulnerability, and his deep appreciation for music, from R&B on, make this thoroughly satisfying reading." --Booklist"A showcase of different approaches to values, business, and hip-hop seen through a lens that feels personal." --Kirkus Reviews"Nelson George's The Darkest Hearts: A D Hunter Mystery stars a talent-manager protagonist encountering human trafficking, reactionary politics, and a dead body near the Canarsie Pier." --Library Journal, selected by Barbara Hoffert as a 2020 Title to WatchFormer bodyguard D Hunter has moved to Los Angeles to become a talent manager. Business is good: he has signed a hot Atlanta rapper named Lil Daye for management and negotiated a lucrative endorsement with a liquor band. However, when D learns of the liquor CEO's unsavory sexual habits and reactionary political views, he worries that he has sold his soul. Back in Brooklyn, a body has been found in the waters near the Canarsie Pier, a body that connects D and the retired hit man Ice to incidents from back in The Plot Against Hip Hop, the second book in the series. Because of this discovery, an FBI agent wants to speak to D, which is making Ice nervous. And Ice is not a man you want worrying about you. Meanwhile in London, Serene Powers, a vigilante and sometime collaborator with D, breaks up a human trafficking ring. In the process, she makes some new, unlikely allies. When Serene returns to the US, D asks her for assistance with a sensitive and volatile matter in Atlanta involving Lil Daye, his wife, his mistress, and a thug on his payroll named Ant. The Darkest Hearts reflects the challenges of being a black businessperson in an era when the rules of entrepreneurship are constantly shifting beneath an increasingly polarized political environment.

"George explores funk in his fine fourth novel featuring D Hunter, New York bodyguard and, by virtue of his jobs and interests, music historian." --Publishers Weekly"A must-read "--BookRiot To Funk and Die in LA, the fourth book in the D Hunter crime-fiction series, brings the ex-bodyguard to the City of Angels on a very dark mission when his grandfather, businessman Daniel "Big Danny" Hunter, is shot dead in a drive-by. Why would someone execute a grocery store owner? D soon finds there was more to Big Danny's life than selling loaves of bread. The old man, it turns out, was deeply involved with Dr. Funk, a legendary musical innovator who has become a mysterious recluse. Most of the novel takes place in the LA neighborhoods of Crenshaw, Koreatown, and Pico-Union--areas where black, Asian, and Latino cultures intersect away from the glamour of Hollywood--and echoes of the 1992 riots play a significant role in D's investigation. In the tradition of Raymond Chandler and Walter Mosley, D Hunter rides through the mean streets of Los Angeles seeking truth and not always finding justice.

A new edition of George Nelson's classic guide to visual appreciation, released on the fortieth anniversary of its original publicationOriginally published in 1977 by iconic American furniture manufacturer Herman Miller, George Nelson's critically acclaimed manifesto on how to recognize, evaluate, and understand the objects and landscape of the man-made world has influenced generations of design professionals, students, and aficionados. Forty years later, this cult book has been brought back to life with a fresh, new look and feel. At a time when our collective fascination with design has gone global, by one of the 20th century's most important design thinkers and will continue to educate and inspire readers everywhere.

"A gritty noir set in the world of New York City's hip hop culture, The Accidental Hunter introduces bodyguard-for-hire D Hunter . . . The violence and chaos that follows proves George to be the equal of his forebears; it's hardly a surprise that the book is dedicated to 'Coffin Ed, Grave Digger, and Easy.'" --CrimeReads, selected by Luke Geddes as one of 10 Books About the Mysterious World of Audiophiles "Great reading for the criminal-minded" --Vibe The Accidental Hunter marks the debut of D Hunter, Nelson George's unforgettable bodyguard-turned-PI whom Library Journal calls " . . . as world weary, yet steadfast, as Philip Marlowe." A security specialist who thrives off of Manhattan's nightlife, D Hunter is the man people turn to when they need help without drawing the attention of the NYPD. When a rising R&B star is kidnapped, music manager Ivy Greenwich hires D for an unusual assignment. Things go well, and D thinks he's done. But Greenwich has other plans: he wants D to escort mega-pop star Bridgette Haze around New York City's top hip hop clubs to give her an edgier, more urban image. Hunter reluctantly agrees, and he soon finds himself both falling for Haze and in urgent pursuit of a mysterious kidnapper, all while battling his own thirst for revenge. Like the subsequent novels in the D Hunter Mystery series--The Plot Against Hip Hop and The Lost Treasures of R&B--The Accidental Hunter is a fast-paced, noir-tinged mystery fueled by New York City's hip hop culture.

An authoritative history of the groundbreaking syndicated television show that has become an icon of American pop culture, from acclaimed author and filmmaker Nelson George, "the most accomplished black music critic of his generation" (Washington Post Book World). When it debuted in October 1971, seven years after the Civil Rights Act, Soul Train boldly went where no variety show had gone before, showcasing the cultural preferences of young African-Americans and the sounds that defined their lives: R&B, funk, jazz, disco, and gospel music. The brainchild of radio announcer Don Cornelius, the show's producer and host, Soul Train featured a diverse range of stars, from James Brown and David Bowie to Christine Aguilera and R. Kelly; Marvin Gaye and Elton John to the New Kids on the Block and Stevie Wonder. The Hippest Trip in America tells the full story of this pop culture phenomenon that appealed not only to blacks, but to a wide crossover audience as well. Famous dancers like Rosie Perez and Jody Watley, performers such as Aretha Franklin, Al Green, and Barry White, and Cornelius himself share their memories, offering insights into the show and its time--a period of extraordinary social and political change. Colorful and pulsating, The Hippest Trip In America is a fascinating portrait of a revered cultural institution that has left an indelible mark on our national consciousness.

"City Kid is perhaps one of the seven greatest books ever written. It has the realness of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, the warmth of The Color Purple, and the page count of Tuesdays with Morrie. It's a must read."-Chris Rock From Nelson George, supervising producer and writer of the hit Netflix series, "The Get Down, an affecting memoir of his coming of age. Nelson George was the nerd of his ghetto neighborhood; the kid who devoured Captain America comics, Ernest Hemingway novels, and album liner notes. City Kid describes how George evolved into an award-winning journalist and filmmaker, becoming a key figure in framing hip hop for the rest of us. The story begins with a fractured family life-an absent father, a struggling single mother, and a sister who falls victim to the streets-but ends in triumph all around. George overcomes both his own nerdiness, as well as the odds against him, to become a godfather of the hip hop movement-he was there at the beginning, and in City Kid he tells us what it was really like. Writing with emotion, but without false sentiment, George creates an insightful and inspirational portrait of an emerging success, as well as the triumphant rise of hip hop culture and black artists in the 80s and 90s.

Klassikeren Hip hop Amerika gir et innblikk hvordan hiphopens estetikk ble skapt og forvandlet, og hvordan den påvirket Amerika (og verden) gjennom de tre siste tiårene av det 20. århundre. Boken handler om den samfunnsomveltende kollisjonen som har funnet sted i løpet av de to siste tiårene mellom svart ungdomskultur og massemedia, om oppdagelsen (og kanskje kapringen) av svarte ungdommer som skapere og forbrukere. Inne i sitt fjerde tiår er hiphopens innflytelse allestedsnærværende. Hiphop har overlevd alle sine kritikere og har til og med overrasket sine mest trofaste tilhengere ved alltid å forandre seg, og ved å utvide publikumsbasen sin ved hver forandring. Sannheten er at hiphop - i alle sine mange uttrykk - har gjenspeilet (og internalisert) problemene i samfunnet vårt så til de grader at kulturen har vokst fra å være et rent minoritetsuttrykk til å bli en verdsatt del av storsamfunnet. Denne kulturen vi har gitt merkelappen hiphop har rett og slett vært i sentrum av svært mye, og troskapen til hiphopens sanne troende er ikke bare dyp - den ser ut til å være livsvarig. OM FORFATTEREN Nelson George har skrevet ti bøker om afroamerikansk kultur og fire romaner. Han har mottatt to ASCAP-Deems Taylor priser, en Grammy, og to American Book Award priser fra The Before Columbus Foundation. Nelson George har skrevet for et mangfold av blader og han har skrevet og produsert en rekke TV-programmer samt to spillefilmer. I 2007 debuterte han som filmregissør med TV-filmen Life Support på HBO. Han ble født i Brooklyn, New York, hvor han fortsatt bor.

Nelson George's chronicle of Motown Records' rise and fall remains a classic account of an essential American music company and its dynamic founder Berry Gordy Jr. Gordy's uncanny instinct for finding extraordinary talent--from performers and musicians to songwriters and producers-packed the label's roster with a who's who of historic artists and hitmakers. Here is the story of the Supremes and superstar Diana Ross, of the towering solo acts Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, of vocal groups led by the Temptations and Four Tops, of the phenomenal Jackson Five and Michael Jackson, and of singer/songwriter and Motown executive Smokey Robinson. Up front about Gordy's manipulative and complex relationships with his artists, George reveals the inner workings of how Motown conducted its business. He also offers portraits of the Funk Brothers and other musicians who played the unforgettable songs. George's preface shows how Motown influenced a later generation of young artists and music moguls, including R. Kelly, D'Angelo, Sean Combs, and Russell Simmons.

A social critic and award-winning author of Hip Hop America describes the splintering of African-American culture in the 1980s, examining the dichotomy between influential black entertainers, athletes, politicians, and spiritual leaders and the rampant drug use and crime that ravaged once-vital black neighborhoods. Reprint.

From Nelson George, supervising producer and writer of the hit Netflix series, "The Get Down," this passionate and provocative book tells the complete story of black music in the last fifty years, and in doing so outlines the perilous position of black culture within white American society. In a fast-paced narrative, Nelson George's book chronicles the rise and fall of "race music" and its transformation into the R&B that eventually dominated the airwaves only to find itself diluted and submerged as crossover music.

In this new and expanded edition of Nelson George's classic cultural study, contemporary black culture is chronicled through essays on music, film, sports, publishing, politics and city life, both uptown and down. "Buppies" enters nearly every arena of the black urban USA: roisterous rappers and legendary hoopsters, streetwise hustlers and influential filmmakers, unsung musicians and drug dealers at work.

Hip music critic Dwayne Robinson has two main gigs: defending rap's rightful place in the music industry and scoring as many women as possible. But this smooth-talking b-boy has yet to try working love into his lingo--until "buppie" Danielle Embry slides into and rocks his world. A Connecticut suburbanite, Danielle is as far removed from Dwayne's Brooklyn ghetto upbringing as it gets. Yet despite this clash, these unlikely lovers are drawn together. While struggling to grind out a harmonious tune amid the grit and glamour of New York City, they soon find themselves confronted with issues that cut deeper than either of them bargained for. . . .