Pretty Fly for a White Girl (Adventures in hip-hop, R&B and punk)

In the first anthology of her writing, Amy Linden shares revealing conversations with some of the biggest names in hip-hop.

In what amounts to a rough draft of history, Linden goes deep in features about numerous artists from the worlds of rap and R&B. And she displays the breadth of her work in articles and reviews about punk rock legends and, surprisingly, Barney the Dinosaur and the Moscow Circus.

As a regular contributor to such leading publications as XXL, The Source, Vibe, Spin and Rolling Stone, Linden was a rarity in hip-hop journalism: a white woman covering predominately Black music. But, as her frank interviews depict, she became a trusted member of that musical community, a knowledgeable and discerning judge of artists and their music. Her writing about female artists is especially noteworthy.

Among the highlights here:

• Linden was one of the few journalists to interview Amy Winehouse, and their encounters form one section of this groundbreaking collection.
• An in-depth conversation with Salt-n-Pepa.
• A discussion of sexual identity with Queen Latifah.
• Painful testimony from Run-DMC about the group's internal crisis.
• A challenging and revealing interview with LL Cool J.
• A lengthy monologue from Jay-Z.
• Actor Tony Danza explaining his connection to Tupac Shakur.
• Liner notes for a Rod Stewart reissue.
• Steven Tyler, Chris Martin and Adam Levine detailing their taste in rap music.

Linden's writing is loaded with authority, courage and humor. Pretty Fly for a White Girl is an important addition to the literature of hip-hop. But it is also evidence of a great career in journalism by a woman who brushed off the professional barriers that faced her and did the work she wanted to do.