Acclaimed for his writing on Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. , as well as his passionate defense of black youth culture, Michael Eric Dyson is known as the "hip-hop intellectual. " With his Blackboard best seller Holler If You Hear Me, Dyson has reached his widest audience to date, bringing to life the hopes and dreams of slain hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur. Viewed by many as a "black James Dean," Tupac has attained cult status since his death six years ago, partly due to the posthumous release of several albums, three movies, and a collection of poetry. But Tupac lives on primarily because of the devotion of his loyal followers. Dyson helps us to understand why a twenty-five-year-old rapper, activist, poet, actor, and alleged sex offender looms even larger in death than he did in life. With his trademark skills of critical thinking and storytelling, Dyson examines the significance of Tupac Shakur for black youth, assessing the ways in which different elements of Shakur's persona-thug, confused prophet, fatherless child-are both vital and destructive. Deeply personal and sharply analytical at the same time, Dyson's book offers a wholly original way of looking at Tupac Shakur that will thrill those who already love the artist and enlighten those who want to understand him.
