{"product_id":"this-is-a-throwdown","title":"This Is a Throwdown: A Toronto Hip-Hop History","description":"\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n \u003ca class=\"active\" href=\"#tab1\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#tab2\"\u003eAuthor\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#tab3\"\u003eDetails\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n \n \u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n \u003cli class=\"active\" id=\"tab1\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom blockos to Billboard hits, the previously untold story of the Toronto Sound\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLong before Drake picked up the mic, Toronto had a thriving, vital hip-hop culture fighting for recognition. It was shaped by multiple generations of artists, including Maestro Fresh Wes, Michie Mee, Kardinal Offishall, Saukrates, Choclair, and k-os\u003ci\u003e,\u003c\/i\u003e and fostered shrewd promoters and pioneering producers such as Ron Nelson, Noah “40” Shebib, and Boi-1da.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThis Is a Throwdown\u003c\/i\u003e authoritatively chronicles the music, history, and environment that shaped the Toronto hip-hop sound, from its 1980s sound system scene through to Drake’s stratospheric success with 2011’s \u003ci\u003eTake Care\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing on Del Cowie’s two decades of experience as a music journalist, \u003ci\u003eThis Is a Throwdown\u003c\/i\u003e is the first book to critically assess and chronicle the largely untold story of hip-hop culture in Toronto, including: \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethe sound system clashes and block parties that were the foundation of Toronto’s early hip-hop culture \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethe hidden pioneers who shaped the scene \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethe diasporic fusion of Caribbean and African-American influences \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ehow Toronto artists broke barriers in an industry that overlooked Canadian hip-hop \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver 50 years after hip-hop began, now’s the time to move the 6ix from shadow to spotlight and celebrate the oft-neglected MCs, producers, and promoters who created this scene and this sound, starting from the bottom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAvailable February 2, 2027. PRE-ORDER NOW!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding-top: 20px;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"sans-serif-special\"\u003eBUY FROM:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.ca\/This-Throwdown-Toronto-Hip-Hop-History\/dp\/1770415548\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0719\/2207\/files\/Amazon.ca_Button_77f55393-2cbc-407a-8a35-fd767e9ae248.png\" width=\"100\" height=\"30\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/This-Throwdown-Toronto-Hip-Hop-History\/dp\/1770415548\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0719\/2207\/files\/Amazon.com_Button_74eac223-be95-45f8-898c-b5754c7edbce.png\" width=\"100\" height=\"30\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/this-is-a-throwdown-del-cowie\/1150870438\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0719\/2207\/files\/B_N_Button_eda69837-b34b-4f02-a66d-9270330d32db.png\" width=\"100\" height=\"30\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.booksamillion.com\/p\/This-Throwdown\/del-Cowie\/9781770415546\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0719\/2207\/files\/BAM_Button_101988c0-7e4b-442d-ab2b-556219f35ef2.png\" width=\"100\" height=\"30\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/this-is-a-throwdown-a-toronto-hip-hop-history-del-cowie\/5efff8591008ac37\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0719\/2207\/files\/Bookshop_Button.png\" width=\"100\" height=\"30\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.indigo.ca\/products\/this-is-a-throwdown-a-toronto-hip-hop-history?variant=47192141922514\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0719\/2207\/files\/Indigo_Button_8ac82365-74c6-462b-a9c1-f29926314ee1.png\" width=\"100\" height=\"30\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.mcnallyrobinson.com\/9781770415546\/del-cowie\/this-is-a-throwdown\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0719\/2207\/files\/McNally_Button_b2df9a42-e2e8-4e84-9aa6-cbbbfdb6392f.png\" width=\"100\" height=\"30\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"small-grey-text\"\u003e\u003ci\u003ePrice may vary by retailer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding-top: 30px;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCheck availability at your local Canadian independent bookstore:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"tbm_shop_local\" data-options=\"{\n 'api_key' : '5XHiEK69GWj88UM4tjoZ9DkEoo9MFauV',\n 'product_code' : '9781770415546',\n 'distance_km' : '100',\n 'label' : 'Shop Local',\n 'request_location' : 'true',\n 'image' : 'https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0719\/2207\/files\/Shop_Local_Button.png'\n }\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n \u003cscript src=\"https:\/\/bookmanager.com\/public\/api\/tbm-shop-local.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\n \u003cp style=\"font-size: 12px;padding-top: 10px;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eRemember that most stores can easily order books they don’t currently have in stock.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"padding-top: 30px;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"sans-serif-special\"\u003eBUY FROM ECW PRESS:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli id=\"tab2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDel Cowie\u003c\/b\u003e is a Toronto-based music journalist and editor who has worked as a writer, producer, and researcher for the Peabody- and International Emmy Award–winning Netflix series \u003ci\u003eHip Hop Evolution\u003c\/i\u003e among other music documentaries. Cowie has also been a longtime member of the Polaris Music Prize jury, a writer on hip-hop culture for \u003ci\u003eCBC Music\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eExclaim!\u003c\/i\u003e, and is the series editor for Invisible Publishing’s Bibliophonic imprint focusing on contemporary Canadian music. He lives in Pender Island, BC.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli id=\"tab3\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePublished: February 2027\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eISBN: 9781770415546\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDimensions: 6 x 9 in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePages: 344\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n \n \u003c!-- split --\u003e\n \n \u003cdiv class=\"grid__item large--one-half review\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n \n \u003cdiv class=\"grid__item large--one-half review\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Cowie, Del","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":45500842573939,"sku":"9781770415546","price":29.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"ePub","offer_id":45500842606707,"sku":"9781778526350","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"PDF","offer_id":45500842639475,"sku":"9781778526367","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/ecwpress.com\/products\/this-is-a-throwdown","provider":"ECW Press","version":"1.0","type":"link"}