- *Double Exposure: From the Academy to the Ghetto* (1988)
- *The Last Shot: A Basketball Novel* (1991)
- *The Gospel of Hip Hop: Essays and Interviews* (2005)
- *Off the Record: Conversations on Race, Music, and America* (2011)
- *The 1619 Project: Born on the Water* (2021)
Essays and articles:
- "Rap Music and Black America: A Personal Perspective" (1988)
- "The Meaning of Hip Hop" (1992)
- "The Death of Hip Hop" (1993)
- "The New Black Aesthetic: Hip Hop Culture" (1994)
- "The Hip Hop Generation" (1995)
- "The Future of Hip Hop" (1996)
- "Hip Hop and the New African Diaspora" (1997)
- "Hip Hop and the American Dream" (1998)
- "The 10 Most Important Hip Hop Songs" (1999)
- "Hip Hop and the Internet" (2000)
- "The 20 Most Important Hip Hop Albums" (2001)
- "Hip Hop and the War on Terror" (2002)
- "The 10 Most Influential Hip Hop Artists" (2003)
- "The Future of Hip Hop: A Conversation with Chuck D" (2004)
- "The 16 Most Important Hip Hop Producers" (2005)
- "Hip Hop and the Civil Rights Movement" (2006)
- "The 10 Most Inspiring Hip Hop Songs" (2007)
- "Hip Hop and the Academy: A Personal Retrospective" (2008)
- "The 20 Most Important Hip Hop Moments" (2009)
- "Hip Hop and the New America" (2010)
- "The 1619 Project: Born on the Water" (2021)
Screenplays:
- *The Last Shot* (1991)
- *The Gospel of Hip Hop* (2005)