The recent proliferation of texts, like Murray Forman's "The 'Hood Comes First: Race, Space and Place in Rap and Hip-Hop," that provide a nuanced approach to the music is an encouraging sign. So, too, is Forman's attempt to write not merely another critical overview of hip-hop's history, but to focus specifically on how conceptions of locale ("space") and the realities of physical terrain ("place") have influenced hip-hop's development.