As someone who volunteered with the National Hip Hop Political Convention Austin LOC, I obviously believe in the positive change that hip hop can foster, and I have seen it in action, even if it was on a small scale. At the same time, I’m perfectly aware that hip hop can prompt negative behavior such as violence, sexism, and homophobia. In his new book, Lester K. Spence, professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University, tries to examine to what extent hip hop has had an effect on politics in the United States.