The Lyrics in African American Popular Music

The first international conference specifically devoted to the lyrics in African American popular music was held in Metz in September 2000 and gathered scholars and experts on blues, gospel song and rap. The eleven contributions, three of which in French, contained in this volume turn their attention to structure and thematic and expressive content in the three genres. Their conclusions, more than ever, allow us to see black popular music as the ongoing oral history of African Americans.