ON THE COVERS:
BLACK MUSIC MONTH

If the disparate stories in this issue underscore anything, it’s that hip-hop is not merely music but homegrown American culture that initially flowered in the boroughs of New York City and gradually engulfed the entire world. In the vivid images gracing the front and back covers here—taken in 1980 and 1984 by photographers Peter Anderson and J D Fowler, respectively—we glimpse the energy, style and love of the neighborhoods where hip-hop first took root.

Front cover (boombox): Peter Anderson/PYMCA/Avalon/Getty Images; back cover (head spin): J D Fowler/Mirrorpix/Getty Images