Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Rapthology cover art

Rapthology

By: Jermaine Scott a.k.a. Wretch 32
Narrated by: Jermaine Scott a.k.a. Wretch 32
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Grime Kids cover art
Rise Up cover art
The Book of Jose cover art
Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter cover art
Monsters and How to Tame Them cover art
Sweat the Technique cover art
They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us cover art
Never Finished cover art
Put on Your Crown cover art
Turn Your Pain into Art cover art
Behind Bars – Britain's Most Notorious Prisoner Reveals What Life is Like Inside cover art
Black Privilege cover art
That Peckham Boy cover art
Objects in the Mirror cover art
Terraform cover art
The Marathon Don't Stop cover art

Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

A revelatory work of non-fiction from one of the most popular and influential musicians of today: part autobiography, part guide to creativity and part cultural history.

What makes a song work? What element causes us to stop, to listen, to listen again? Is it a melody? Is it a beat? Is it the words that are sung, or spoken? Is it what they speak to in us? Is it a combination of all of the above?

Wretch 32 is one of the most influential musicians at work in Britain today. He is also a lyricist of unparalleled ability, and an advocate of music as a tool to educate as well as to entertain. In an age of unprecedented social and political change, Wretch’s music stands as a medium of protest and of progress, helping to explain and shape a new era. 

Rapthology is an anthology of the songs that have shaped Wretch, and our society, over the last thirty years, from gospel music to dancehall anthems to the most innovative emerging young voices. Step by step, Wretch explains what each song means to him, why it matters and how it has become so popular, and so powerful. 

In Rapthology, Wretch also provides a lesson in lyric writing, taking us through his own creative process, from the first flashes of inspiration to final edits and improvisation. The result is a groundbreaking autobiography, a guidebook to the music that matters, and an insight into the artistic practises of one of the most inspiring artists of a generation.

©2019 Jermaine Scott (P)2019 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about Rapthology

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    94
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    84
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    85
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

amazing listen

I personally believe looks like this should end up in the school curriculum alongside the books that young in the city study they can pull more relevant out of looks like this in some of the stuff that study in school today

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great and insightful for any writer

Great and insightful listen, this brings you closer to the artist aswel as his work. It shows great depth into UK urban music and shows there's alot of writing skill that goes into creating this type of music.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Genius

Imagine one of your favourite musicians made one of your favourite books, well that just happened!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love this book

This book. I wonder whether it was as cathartic to write as it was inspiring to listen to. Uncharacteristically flowery words from me but how I feel.
Bought the physical book but to hear it read by the author is the icing. Listening to someone who enjoys words talk about how they use and create with them could work several ways for an author. This book feels full of integrity, intelligence, reflection and humour.
‘How can a spirit rise up when burdened with so much unfulfilled potential’ - not verbatim but close enough. This alone has sent an old person back to the classroom!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!

So good to hear about the meaning behind the music. Written and read beautifully! Wretch is amazing!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Goat

Wow. incredible lyricism and knowledge of language. I loved Wretch before but he's truly he is one of greatest of all time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

For every Wretch fan!

One of my all time favourite artists and this does not disappoint in sharing his craft. A must have for any Wretch fan.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivated me on every turn of the page!

Wow! not only do I love everything that (wretch 32) stands for & admire his efforts due to his passion of a writer & being a musician his intellect is on another level. il begin my review by saying am totally blown away by the detail & energy being put into this book, the realness was so deep that I felt was honest not to mention very moving. My favourite chapter has to be (love you like cook food) on a personal note I was really looking forward to this and it did not disappoint me.

It is fascinating to see the level of detail and thought that Wretch puts into each and every word and line.

The book is also very captivated & revealing on a level that was quite expected. The format worked well and gave me a new deep found appreciation to his true craft. I enjoyed how cleverly wretch had indulged his writing along with his verses of rap. Great read big up wretch 32 on his book! Ps (I personally liked the Audible version rather then the book only because the voice & rap brings the book alive!) By simp ree

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

I loved the structure of the book, characters relating to song was amazing.
The content is also great and made me tear up at point.
the narration was emotive and really added to this listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Jay

Amazing amazing amazing, This guy is a genius. Who know a man could put so much thought into his music. Was a fan of his music but having an In site to the meaning behind some of the bars that I always wanted the answer too, I now feel I understand and respect his craft even greater. Ps I have never wrote a review and have over 30+ books in my audio library says it all. Thanks for this wretch - what a genius!!!!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful