"Summer of Hamn is billed as a depiction of gun violence in America, a collection of Chuck's graffiti-style drawings and verse--all compiled in what he calls 'the madness' of last summer. 'Every day there were things that were macabre that didn't even make the news because people had become immune, ' he says. He turned to illustration because people listen more than ever with their eyes. 'A picture is worth 10,000 words nowadays, ' he says. A drawing today can get the type of response that a rap record used to get 35 years ago, he adds, especially if it's something he's uploaded to Instagram or Facebook or X."-- "The Guardian, on Summer of Hamn"

Chuck D's excellent STEWdio (yes, Chuck D of Public Enemy) is a literal diary of stray thoughts, three books of them, in a box--and some of the most compelling reading I've done this year. In one-page panels recalling a meld of eighth grade homeroom sketches and the exuberantly unstable lines of Basquiat, Chuck offers portraits of collaborators, tales of loss and quarantine, nights huddled before cable news.-- "Chicago Tribune, on STEWdio"

The Public Enemy mastermind combines art and hip-hop rhymes to provide his compelling, personal views on the chaotic years between 2020 and 2022 . . . In an engaging, distinctly hip-hop style, Chuck D reveal important lessons from the early pandemic years.-- "Kirkus Reviews, starred review of STEWdio"

This box set of three full-color paperback bound books is an engaging time capsule capturing the thoughts and artwork Chuck D created from the start of COVID-19 through the first year of the Biden administration. The cofounder and front man of legendary hip hop group Public Enemy unleashes his commentary on contemporary events with the activist instinct that made the hip hop pioneers a social message phenomenon.-- "Ebony, on STEWdio"

With his latest work of graphic nonfiction, Chuck D uses his art and hip-hop rhymes to show how the US has been held hostage by gun violence and a growing sense of hopelessness . . . A focused, fresh, urgent text filled with pictures worth 1,000 words and rhymes worth thousands more.-- "Kirkus Reviews, starred review of Summer of Hamn"

Chuck D., the leader/cofounder of the hip-hop group Public Enemy, and Lopez, his Pilates instructor, show how people of all ages can benefit from the practice of this body-conditioning regime. Now 63 years old, Chuck D says that he wanted to make sure his book offered something that readers over 40 could do effectively and safely. Together, the authors provide a great introduction to Pilates with clear, encouraging, and easy-to-understand directions and mesmerizing illustrations, created by Chuck D., a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee who also has a degree in graphic design. The combination of the text and images help readers better grasp how to do each exercise. The book's breathing instructions are especially helpful and essential. Some exercises come with a warning for readers who have back or neck issues. Otherwise, they're designed to be safe for all to try at home with limited or no equipment. Most of the exercises have hip-hop adjacent names, which adds a humorous touch to the tone of the book. VERDICT A solid and fun introduction to Pilates for both beginners and readers with some knowledge of Pilates. Fans of hip-hop will appreciate this book too.-- "Library Journal Life+Style April 2024"

Publisher: Enemy Books

Pub date: 2024-07-02

Length: 92 pages