The Dozens

Wald (Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues) looks at the ritualized game of the dozens, bantering insults that focus on sex and relatives, familiar to anyone who has heard a "your mama" joke. Academics have viewed the dozens as everything from an expression of misogyny to an affirmation of black culture. Wald points out that insults to relatives are common in other cultures globally and are perceived as play rather than insult; he argues that in many cases critics see obscenity because of their own belief systems and social orientation. Though Wald views the dozens as a precursor to rap, the book is a study in sociolinguistics and folk etymology as much as it is about music. He examines this lyrical tradition through different kinds of performance—blues, jazz, and rap as well as literature, film, and street culture. If you're looking for a book about the history of battle rap, try Jeff Chang's Can't Stop Won't Stop.