Can I Kick It? Books

Part of the fantastic 33 1/3 series, this little book provides background detail on the creation and significance of A Tribe Called Quest's classic debut album, as well as some very personal anecdotes from the author.

This breakthrough piece of black literary theory lays out a complex but very interesting framework for analyzing African American literature through history. Gates promotes the idea of "signifyin'" as a way to understand black humor and black identity in literature.