After it was released last month, Shea Serrano's The Rap Year Book quickly climbed its way onto the New York Times Best Seller list, spurred on by an informal network of social media supporters around the country. The book charts the history of hip-hop using illustration and "discussion, debate, and deconstruction" to identify the most important rap song of ever year from 1979 to the present, arguing in favor of tracks like Public Enemy's "Fight The Power" (1989), Puff Daddy's "Can't Hold Me Down" (1997), and 50 Cent's "In Da Club" (1993). During a trip to New York earlier this fall, Serrano stopped by The FADER's offices for a quick chat. We asked him to illustrate his answers to five pressing questions, including ones about the first rap album he ever bought and what his parents think about what he does. Watch the video above.
