On this four-decade-long journey from the studios where the first rap records were made to the boardrooms where the big deals were inked, "The Big Payback" tallies the list of who lost and who won along the 40-year road to hip-hop's dominance.

Includes index.

Number runners -- Genius of rap -- The beat box -- Hip-hop nation -- Where hip-hop lives -- Cops & rappers -- Keeping it real -- An American dream.