In the Heart of the Beat The Poetry of Rap

by Pate, Alexs

• ISBN13: 9780810860087
• ISBN10: 0810860082
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-11-24
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Summary

In In the Heart of the Beat: The Poetry of Rap, bestselling author and scholar Alexs Pate argues for a fresh understanding of rap as an exemplary form of literary expression, rather than a profane and trendy musical genre. He focuses on works by several well-known artists to reveal in rap music, despite its penchant for vulgarity, a power and beauty that is the heart of great literature.

Author Biography

Alexs Pate is associate professor of African American and African studies at the University of Minnesota. He is the best-selling author of Amistad: A Novel Based on the Screenplay and Losing Absalom, which received a Minnesota Book Award and was named Best First Novel by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.

Table of Contents

Praise and Shouts	p. ix
Preface and DISclaimas	p. xiii
Permissions	p. xxi
Rewind	p. xxxi
Say What?	p. 1
A Matter of Life: A Brief Discussion	p. 15
From the Streets: Coloring the Multicultural Black	p. 19
Defining Rap/Poetry	p. 25
Where You From? Local, Young, and Uncensored	p. 31
Toward a Critical Reading of Rap/Poetry	p. 37
The Elements of Rap/Poetry	p. 45
Saturation	p. 45
Language	p. 51
Profanity	p. 57
That N Word	p. 59
Gender Issues	p. 61
Imagery	p. 81
Texture	p. 87
Meaning	p. 93
Structure, Form, and Rhythm	p. 108
Flow	p. 115
The Aesthetics: A Summary	p. 119
Outro: The Professor Revisited	p. 123
Appendix: The Thematic Categories of Rap/Poetry	p. 127
Index	p. 133
About the Author	p. 141
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