To Hell with Poverty!: A Class Act: Inside the Gang of Four
TO HELL WITH POVERTY documents Jon King's story from a South London slum and impoverished working-class background to international success as core musician, lyricist, writer, and producer in the legendary postpunk/funk band Gang of Four. The reader is taken on an episodic and kaleidoscopic journey full of adventures from childhood to the end of Gang of Four's "golden period" in 1984. Thrown off the hit British TV show Top of the Pops; beaten by police at an anti-Nazi rally; being at the heart of the UK postpunk movement in the 1970s; fraternizing with Hells Angels and other "undesirables"; supported by bands like R.E.M. and playing with the likes of the Police and Talking Heads--King's times with Gang of Four are rich with stories.
Gang of Four's Entertainment LP is consistently ranked as one of the greatest debut albums of all time and continues to inspire new generations of musicians today. The band has influenced numerous bands, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and INXS, to 2024-era hip-hop giants Run the Jewels, whose hit song "The Ground Below" is built on samples from the Gang of Four's song "Ether." Gang of Four have been championed by the likes of Flea, Sofia Coppola, Massive Attack, Damien Hirst, Greil Marcus, and many more.
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