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Holler If You Hear Me
*Produced by Buck 50 Productions Tupac Shakur was an American rap artist, actor, and social activist who wrote songs about ghetto life, racism, and social problems. One of the bestselling music artists in the world, he also gained notoriety for his conflicts with the law and time spent in prison. More than a decade after his murder, Tupac Shakur is even more loved, contest...more
Paperback, 308 pages
Published
December 31st 2002
by Plexus Publishing Ltd
(first published 2001)
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This book is no ordinary biography. This is a fully considered, holistic social narrative of the King of Rap, Tupac Shakur, presented as only Michael Dyson could. Professor Dyson, who received his PhD in religion from Princeton University, authors what is in effect an apologetic discourse on Tupac. 2Pac's life is illuminated from personal, social, and political perspectives. Holler If You Hear Me is not a typical chronology, but a tapestry of rich meaning and political significance exploring the...more
Many young people like me will always be affected by Tupac's message and music, many generations would continue to admire him and keep his memory alive. There was pain and anguish in his voice that many rappers donot have, He wasn't afraid to be vulnerable cus he sang such hits as ''Dear Mama'' and laid down heavy social commentary on tracks such as ''Changes'', ''Brenda's Got a baby'' and countless many tracks..
Dyson attempts to present Tupac's life as it was, reveals the complexity of Shakur a...more
Dyson attempts to present Tupac's life as it was, reveals the complexity of Shakur a...more
After reading "Holler If You Hear Me," by Michael Eric Dyson I feel I have learned quite a significant amount of new knowledge toward its subject Tupac Shakur. Dyson's approach to educating the readers will have even the most devoted fans eager for more. I feel the way book is set up is the most complimentary of Dyson's style. Each chapter is unique by being quoted after a line Shakur used in songs. Dyson dives into Shakur's childhood and makes us believe we were there, by using old cartoons and...more
This could have been a strong biography or readable academic text; unfortunately, Dyson didn't have it in him to make it both. There are plenty of good bits, like the interview with Shakur's old manager and mentor who still has shelves lined with Pac's books or Dyson's refusal to gloss over Tupac's conflicted views about women.
Still, the book never provides enough background detail one wants out of a biography, or enough depth one expects from a book-length exegesis of a single artist. Also, an...more
Still, the book never provides enough background detail one wants out of a biography, or enough depth one expects from a book-length exegesis of a single artist. Also, an...more
You’ll probably appreciate the book if you’re a Tupac fan. I knew virtually nothing about him, so the book raised more questions and concerns in me rather than real understanding. In fact, Dyson doesn’t seem to come to any conclusions either, but I guess that’s a good thing when we’re talking about a complex individual raised in Tupac’s very complex world. In that way, it’s well worth reading. It also led me to dive into Fish, Stick, Knife, Gun by Geoffrey Canada - and his description of growing...more
'bout done. thoroughly lackluster. maybe the chapter on his black panther alma matter is worth reading, but outside of that, it's alot of compiled anecdotal stuff. a little like watching a "behind the music". i mean, there's alot of info and alot of analysis but dyson is trying way to hard to appear objective. seems like the most boring way to approach an autobiography of a controversial figure. i'd prefer he make his alliance(s) explicit and move foward from there.
celebrities are stupid. tupac...more
celebrities are stupid. tupac...more
In what should probably be deemed more a critical life analysis than a biography, Dyson delves into the controversial life of slain rapper/actor Tupac Amaru Shakur and his influence in the world of hip hop. Dyson goes further to show how both Tupac and hip hop culture affect the world of the African American in modern day America. As much as I wanted to like this book going in, I was disappointed by what seemed like Dyson's idol worship of Tupac which nearly prevented him from presenting a singl...more
i really enjoyed the book as it was not only a biography but also a disection of his life and songs. While offering peoples memories of him and what he meant to them and the world at large. it also gives us insight into culture and issues that are at the heart of not only the black community but the world also. ?It gives us a background on him the civil rights movement and the people he was inspired by and the messages he sought to bring to the world
Wonderful book. Dyson shows the world who Tupac really was not only through music but also as an intellectual and pollitical figure. He exposed Tupac's passions and revived the positive meaning Pac put behind terms like T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E. (The Hate U Give Little Infants F*cks Everyone)and N.I.G.G.A. (Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished)! Definite must read!
This book is too much about the author and not enough about the subject. It felt like M.E.D. was pushing his agenda and writing this book to glorify himself and his education and espouse his views on the ills of the ghetto. Tupac was just a mode to get his point across and sell books, too much of the author's voice and not enough Tupac.
I was enlightened after reading this book about Tupac's postrevelutionary childhood. If you get an opportunity to read this book please do so. Tupac was ingenious and it's great how this book paints a vivid picture of his life and the relationship he had with his mother. This book was well-writtened and I was intrigued by Tupac's story.
Oct 05, 2011
Bridget
is currently reading it
Started listing to the audio version today. So far I'm not convinced I'm going to listen to the rest. I'm a big Tupac fan, but this book is ridiculous in its attempt to portray Tupac as a social advocate responsible for empowering (solely!) empoverished black Americans.
I am a huge Tupac fan, so it's always nice to read about his life, what shaped him, and the influence he had and still continues to have. Dyson brought up a lot of important issues--including Tupac's often-contradicting views of gender and relationships, his relationship with his mother, his political background, intellectual interests, spiritual life, etc. He did a good--but not strong enough--job of linking them with broader trends in youth culture, black identity, etc. A lot of the writing wa...more
one of the worst books i have ever wasted my time on. first of all, barely about tupac. if michael dyson could create more nuanced and intelligent arguments, still could have been interesting.
Dec 26, 2011
GeckoEcho
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
MED fans, no-one really
Recommended to GeckoEcho by:
A trifling friend
More a book about MED than Tupac. Read and felt too "extra"... Extra-intellectualized. Over-analysed, felt very forced. If the subject wasn't Tupac, I'da given it half a star.
meh. expected a lot more. seems extremely disorganized and his arguments are hard to follow. best things i got out of it were understanding tupac's background as the son of a revolutionary and how intelligent he was. but could have picked that up from wikipedia.
I listened to this on audio. I would rate this a 2 1/2 but its upgraded to a 3 on goodreads.
An important read if you are considering going into the K-12 field in education.
The chapter I'm in the middle of is Tupac's "good reads" page. Dyson is pretty much listing all the books Tupac loved, and its impressive. I'm less impressed when Dyson glorifies Tupac, but his arguments about how putting down Tupac for his violence, mysoginy, and self-destruction are disingenuous at best and probably racist, are great. We have never expected our poets or novelists to be great people (and they haven't been), so why do we expect more from our rappers. And it is far beyond time fo...more
so the first thing i would like to say about this review is to completely ignore my rating. i say this because i have a passion for everything Tupac and that he is also one of my heros. this book is a biography about Tupac's life and everything he did leading up to his death in 1996. i read this book many years ago and as a result, i do not remember much of the book. i do remember how much i enjoyed reading Tupac's story and how fast i finished the book. i would not recommend this book to anyone...more
As a devoted fan of Michael Eric Dyson I'm sad to report that I was disappointed by this book. While he does do a lot to complicate the media portrayal of Tupac as nothing more than a ghetto thug, he swings the pendulum too far in the other direction - this book is more hero worship than biography. It's clear that Dyson has an agenda to pursue, even if the facts aren't always in place to support it. While I enjoyed hearing from important people in Tupac's life, this one is only for die-hard fans...more
Well written considering the subject matter.
Aug 13, 2009
Roshae Ball
added it
Read This In Ms.Coooper's Class Too."
Very good book. A must read.
Mar 10, 2009
Stephanie
marked it as to-read
OMG I LUV 2PAC
Jul 10, 2010
Eric Piotrowski
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
nonfiction,
hip-hop
A superb exploration of Tupac's life and impact. I never really cared much for his music before reading the book, and I still find that most of his lyrics are post-revolutionary and celebrate the lumpen spirit of partying and sex and material excess. But the book is so valuable precisely because Dyson examines closely the reasons why he drifted so far from the Black Panther ideology that his mother came out of.
I have a new appreciation for 'Pac. Now if only Dyson would write one about Biggie..
I have a new appreciation for 'Pac. Now if only Dyson would write one about Biggie..
This is another book I read in order to gain some sort of understanding of something that rubs me the wrong way. But the subject of the biography takes himself too seriously, and the biographer follows suit!
I found myself arguing out loud with the author as I read. There is no justifying the lifestyle choices the subject makes, and no escaping the fact that those choices led to his demise. The biographer tries way too hard to justify the hip hop culture complete with its "gangsta" tendancies.
I found myself arguing out loud with the author as I read. There is no justifying the lifestyle choices the subject makes, and no escaping the fact that those choices led to his demise. The biographer tries way too hard to justify the hip hop culture complete with its "gangsta" tendancies.
May 29, 2007
Kristin
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Tupac Fans, Hip-hop fans, fans of pop culture
This book is very interesting..makes me feel dumb though b/c he read more books by 25 than I will in my life lol.
The book analyzes Tupac examining his complex character that is expressed in his music. The story features many interviews including: Jada Pinket Smith, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and his mother Afeni Shakur. Interesting quick read, deffinately recommended to his fans or people who like hip-hop.
The book analyzes Tupac examining his complex character that is expressed in his music. The story features many interviews including: Jada Pinket Smith, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and his mother Afeni Shakur. Interesting quick read, deffinately recommended to his fans or people who like hip-hop.
If you are searching for the answer on how Tupac's icon has stayed alive, even though he (maybe) is not, then this book might respond to your questions.
"Among the young black intellectuals to emerge since the demise of the civil rights movement�[Dyson is] undoubtedly the most insightful and thought-provoking." � Manning Marable, author of Malcolm X
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Michael Eric Dyson is an American academic, author, and radio host. He is a professor of sociology at Georgetown University.
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Oct 20, 2011 08:11pm