Hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash will chronicle his influential career and the genre’s origins in his upcoming memoir, Birth of a Culture, which is set for release in fall 2026 by HarperCollins’ Amistad imprint. Co-written with journalist Robert “Scoop” Jackson and personally narrated by Flash for the audiobook, the book offers a fresh perspective distinct from the DJ’s 2008 memoir, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats, by focusing on hip-hop’s cultural history and featuring interviews with key figures who shaped the movement. “This story has been on my mind for a very long time,” Flash said in a statement. “It depicts the early history and many subject matters that pertain to the culture called hip-hop. I talk about my come-up, I express my thoughts and opinions with others. I reminisced about what it was and what it has become. It entails joy, pain, real life, fun, drama, math, and science.” (Rolling Stone)
Grandmaster Flash Announces Upcoming Publication Of His New Memoir, ‘Birth Of A Culture’
Nov 20, 2025 | 6:01 PM