Hip hop music and culture grew out of the party scene of 1970's South Bronx into a worldwide, billion dollar industry. The genre has not been known for artist longevity and it's changes in eras are similar to mass extinctions in the fossil record. Science teacher and lifelong hip hop fan Gary C. Booker reflects on the similarities between hip hop history and the natural history of life on Earth in four essays. These four essays compare critical game-changing moments in hip hop to evolutionary changes that would shape the future of life.