The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hop's Greatest Songs

by Pride, Felicia

• ISBN13: 9781568583358
• ISBN10: 1568583354
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-10-25
• Publisher: Perseus Books Group

Summary

The Message is what Felicia Pride has learned from hip-hop. She knows how to build a strong crew. She understands that greatness is the ability to bounce back from failure. She knows how to manoeuvre in the streets and in the office. She's learned how to hustle (legally) in her career in order to achieve her goals. Gleaning from the lessons and messages in top hip-hop songs, she has learned that life is the ultimate, beautiful struggle. Written in short, reflective entries, in the language of hip-hop itself, each lesson is aptly titled after a hip-hop song and possesses a defining theme that draws from the rapper's message and persona, as well as from the experiences of the author. Collectively, The Message is a soundtrack to the hip-hopper's life. Features a wide range of songs and artists make the book a collection with a great deal of breadth. From 2Pac's "Death around the Corner," Pride teaches readers that no one is immune from death, and encourages readers to live every day to the fullest. From A Tribe Called Quest's "Description of a Fool," she advises: "You can't surround yourself with fools. First step is learning how to identify them." She also collects the messages in such songs as Gangstarr's "Respect the Architect," Ice Cube's "Turn Off the Radio," Jay-Z's "Feelin It," Lauryn Hill's "Lost Ones," and many others. While focusing on the positive and motivational aspects of hip-hop culture, The Message encourages readers to engage in their own personal reflection. Truly original and totally inspiring, The Message is essential reading for every hip-hop fan.

Author Biography

Felicia Pride is a writer, consultant, teacher, with a great deal of experience in the publishing industry. She is a regular contributor to Publisher’s Weekly and her writing has appeared in Black Issues Book Review, Vibe.com, Popmatters.com, Baltimore City Paper, and Africana.com.