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9781250787385

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A plain-spoken striver's tale that affectingly charts Kweli's rise. --Allison Stewart, THE WASHINGTON POST Vibrate Higher: A Rap Story shows how hip-hop inspires alternative education. With a music career spanning over two decades, Kweli has never swayed from themes of Black Freedom --Darryl Robertson, USA TODAY This memoir confirms what [Kweli's] work has communicated for years, demonstrating the sharp, nimble mind of an insatiable cultural omnivore... Whether discussing how he used to cut school to hone his rapping skills in Washington Square Park or recounting how he took his maternal grandmother, the Obama Mama, as his guest to the White House, Kweli turns back the pages of hip-hop history for music fans and has something to offer readers unfamiliar with his work. By the end of the book, even that latter group will appreciate the author's standing as one of the most respected emcees in hip-hop. --KIRKUS REVIEWS [An] outspoken and enthusiastic memoir. Kweli shares his upbringing as a supernerd from a middle-class Brooklyn family who went to boarding school and later incorporated Afro-centric philosophy into his Black consciousness hip-hop style. He narrates his rise as a whirl of deals and tours...Kweli is effusive about most of the musicians he knows, and waxes mystically about the vibe --a blend of social scene and creative ferment--at the metaphysical heart of musical collaboration. --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Talib Kweli is one of the most important voices and minds of our generation. His work across the board always makes me think on a higher level and see things in a new way, and all the while it's done with quality and excellence. This book is an excursion into the minds of one our great ones. --COMMON Talib Kweli is a hip hop mirror ball, distributing light everywhere. For years, he's seen things, heard things--worldwide. It bodes the reader well to journey his mind and experiences in this book. --CHUCK D Thank you my dear brother Talib for these birth/family memories and your artistic/poetic Now words reminding us that we are indebted to your generation of poets/rappers for continuing the Trinity of Black language/music/and activism. Your brilliant life of poetry reminds us that A Luta Continua. --SISTER SONIA SANCHEZ

A plain-spoken striver's tale that affectingly charts Kweli's rise. --Allison Stewart, THE WASHINGTON POST Vibrate Higher: A Rap Story shows how hip-hop inspires alternative education. With a music career spanning over two decades, Kweli has never swayed from themes of Black Freedom --Darryl Robertson, USA TODAY Vibrate Higher isn't just a story of hip-hop music and culture, but also a coming-of-age story of a young, intelligent artist who was finding his voice and place in his society in the 1980s and '90s. . . [Kweli's] synth and drum-machine-scored childhood of the '80s is lovingly written and reveals a genuine literary talent. --Peter Piakowski, POPMATTERS This memoir confirms what [Kweli's] work has communicated for years, demonstrating the sharp, nimble mind of an insatiable cultural omnivore... Whether discussing how he used to cut school to hone his rapping skills in Washington Square Park or recounting how he took his maternal grandmother, the Obama Mama, as his guest to the White House, Kweli turns back the pages of hip-hop history for music fans and has something to offer readers unfamiliar with his work. By the end of the book, even that latter group will appreciate the author's standing as one of the most respected emcees in hip-hop. --KIRKUS REVIEWS [An] outspoken and enthusiastic memoir. Kweli shares his upbringing as a supernerd from a middle-class Brooklyn family who went to boarding school and later incorporated Afro-centric philosophy into his Black consciousness hip-hop style. He narrates his rise as a whirl of deals and tours...Kweli is effusive about most of the musicians he knows, and waxes mystically about the vibe --a blend of social scene and creative ferment--at the metaphysical heart of musical collaboration. --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Talib Kweli is one of the most important voices and minds of our generation. His work across the board always makes me think on a higher level and see things in a new way, and all the while it's done with quality and excellence. This book is an excursion into the minds of one our great ones. --COMMON Talib Kweli is a hip hop mirror ball, distributing light everywhere. For years, he's seen things, heard things--worldwide. It bodes the reader well to journey his mind and experiences in this book. --CHUCK D Thank you my dear brother Talib for these birth/family memories and your artistic/poetic Now words reminding us that we are indebted to your generation of poets/rappers for continuing the Trinity of Black language/music/and activism. Your brilliant life of poetry reminds us that A Luta Continua. --SISTER SONIA SANCHEZ

Author Information

"Talib Kweli is one of the world's most talented and accomplished hip-hop artists. Whether working with Mos Def as one half of Black Star, partnering with the producer Hi-Tek for Reflection Eternal, releasing landmark solo material, or collaborating with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Just Blaze, J Dilla, or Madlib, Kweli commands attention by delivering top-tier lyricism, crafting captivating stories, and showing the ability to rhyme over virtually any type of instrumental. In 2011, Kweli founded Javotti Media, ""a platform for independent thinkers and doers."" Kweli hopes to make Javotti Media into a media powerhouse that releases music, films, and books."

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