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Escaping Babylon

An Intimate History of Black British Music
Brief Description
Shapeshifting, collaborative, endlessly inventive and robustly empowering: Black music has transformed British culture and society, and gifted generations of Black Britons a powerful means to reject misrepresentation and find freedom and joy in sound. From the height of jungle and hip-hop in the 90s to the... Read More
Format: Hardback
$5500
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Releases 18th August 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "Escaping Babylon" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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How thirty years of Black music reshaped Britain, from 1989 to the present.

How thirty years of Black music reshaped Britain, from 1989 to the present

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Shapeshifting, collaborative, endlessly inventive and robustly empowering: Black music has transformed British culture and society, and gifted generations of Black Britons a powerful means to reject misrepresentation and find freedom and joy in sound.

From the height of jungle and hip-hop in the 90s to the London uprisings in 2011, the birth of UK trap and the rise of grime superstars like Stormzy, filmmaker and DJ Jesse Bernard examines how Black culture in Britain is moulded by creativity drawn from Lagos and Los Angeles, Sao Paolo and South London. Escaping Babylon takes a deep dive into the history of Black British music to celebrate its richness, heritage and towering legacy.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781788169356

Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 07 May 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Profile Books Ltd

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 158.0mm

Height: 238.0mm

Weight: 540g

Pages: 336

About the Author

Jesse Bernard is a writer, DJ, music researcher and filmmaker. He has written for publications including GQ, the Guardian, NME, Esquire and Vinyl Factory. He is tour DJ for the British MC Lord Apex and hosts a monthly radio show, Home Comforts, on Voices Radio. His most recent documentary, COMO VOCÊ, explores the links between the grime scene in Brazil and London.

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