A fascinating genuine narrative formed in the crucible of Golden Age Hip-Hop mindfulness.

Behind the Music Tales is a series which captures the mood and feel of the energy that surged through music in the 90s and 2000s. It presents exclusive original interviews as an honest record, directly from authentic creative forces, and is a distinct historical document as close to the truth as one can get.

New York State of Mind 1.0, the 7th book in the series, provides you with a true flavour of the personalities, in all their raw forms, who breathed life into the streets of the city, taking the music to new heights and in completely new directions.

Tragedy Khadafi is as real as it gets. Through impressive MC skills and a formidable street reputation he lived the life of a true hoodlum, surviving gunshot wounds, stabbings and broken bones. The strong lyrical message of Brand Nubian reflects on the group’s identity as Five-Percenters and the philosophy of the Nation of Gods and Earth, while Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth arrived on the scene in the midst of a Hip-Hop impasse of sorts.

New York State of Mind 1.0 is a candid look deep inside the psyche of each individual and an examination of what makes them tick. Take a ride alongside them and learn how they made their mark on a generation.