The Dark Heartbeat of New York's Underground Economy The story of hip hop's birth in 1970s Harlem is often romanticized, reduced to a mythic lightning strike and a wave of looting that brought forth a revolutionary new sound.
But what lies beneath this narrative?
Colson Whitehead's Cool Machine offers a glimpse into the shadowy underbelly of New York City in the late 1970s, where a rough around the edges wheeler dealer named Ray Carney navigated the city's illicit economy with ease.