Before the Internet There were Mixtapes — “Do Remember!” Reviewed

In a half-century, hip-hop has evolved from the park jam to become a multi-billion dollar industry that sets trends and dictates a large portion of pop culture.

It is both powerful and ubiquitous.

But growth can be painful and, naturally, such an expansion for a lifestyle that is revered and protected by its longtime fans (and traditionalists) will lead to some disappointment and longing for the old days.

As a result, hip-hop nostalgia has become a niche industry unto itself, reminding those of us that were there what it was like before rap was safe enough to be used a prop in TikTok videos.

For those that miss the pre-internet days when word-of-mouth, and not retweets and likes, was the arbiter of good taste comes a new book that will feel like opening a yearbook from twenty-five years ago.

Do Remember! The Golden Era of NYC Hip-Hop Mixtapes (Rizzoli) by Evan Auerbach and Daniel Isenberg traces the history of rap mixtapes, from the early days of Brucie B and Kid Capri to the mid-90s reign of Clue and Tony Touch, all the way through to Whoo Kid and Green Lantern, from live tapes without any artwork or even titles that were passed hand-to-hand to studio-quality CDs released by the artists themselves and sold in stores.

Between freestyles, exclusives, and songs that were cut from the official album for a variety of reasons, there were some absolute classics that could be found only on a mixtape. Before YouTube, there was an entire subculture of hip-hop that was only available to those that had access to those tapes, something that I only found when I moved to the city.

It is an absolutely gorgeous book. Large and full of photos, it is part oral history, part pictorial history, and – at least for some of us – part trip down memory lane. It serves as a historical record and a behind-the-scenes look as told by those that were there, when they were too busy grinding to realize they were upending an industry.

Auerbach is curator of UpNorthTrips, the ultimate online hip-hop museum of music, artwork, anecdotes, and, fittingly, anniversaries and Isenberg is a veteran journalist and writer from various outlets, so the book is an ideal balance of those two disciplines.

Honestly, there are no critiques to be found here. Comprehensive, educational, and visually appealing, Do Remember! tells the full, colorful story of an integral, though often overlooked, aspect of hip-hop culture.

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Do Remember! is available now.

I was provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Christopher Pierznik is the worst-selling author of nine books. His work has appeared on XXL, Cuepoint, Business Insider, The Cauldron, Fatherly, Hip Hop Golden Age, and many more. Connect on Facebook or get in touch at CPierznik99@gmail.com.

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