Brief Book Review: Post-HipHoppers

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This brand-new book occupies the intellectual space between Kevin Powell’s essay collectionsย and Bakari Kitwana’s seminal work.

M.K. Asante, Jr., a filmmaker, poetย and college professor,ย adds his name to the list of young (under 45 ๐Ÿ™‚ ) Blacks who’ve written works that seek to combine journalism, personal essays and contemporary history, using hiphop of the point of departure. He is an optimistic self-described “artivist,” a 26-year-old writing to inspire younger people who will pick up this book because of its title. It’ll be their text for Black Contemporary Socio-Political Development 101, and believe me, they need it.

Get this book for the teenager (or college-aged young adult) in your life and make him or her read it. Then make him or her look up all of the authors he mentions.

A Rolling Stone Gathers Much Puff :)

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Was in bed the other night with the love of my life—Rolling Stone magazine ๐Ÿ™‚ —and all I gotta say is this: Boy, it’s clearly good to be the King. RS Publisher Jann Wenner does a puff-piece Q+A, and then commissions a sidebar all about how Obama’s people are impressive because they actually wield power the way power is SUPPOSED to be wielded? I’m for Obama too, but Sheesh! I’m tempted to put this postย in the “Advertising” category. ๐Ÿ™‚