Review by Booklist Review
Scholarly inquiry is pretty heady stuff to lay on what was originally rhythmic fodder for teenagers' dances, but such is the unifying quality of these books. Ehrlich's eclectic assortment of profiles is misleadingly subtitled in that the subjects' "spirituality, creativity and consciousness" usually crop up only tangentially. His examinations of the musicians' motivations can be lightly informative (e.g., the discussion of Billy Bragg's politics) but more often run to the level of his take on Al Green's "finding a spiritual significance in love songs" through the singer-preacher's comparison of his postconcert and postministry moisture levels ("When I come offstage, I'm soaking wet . . . and when I get done ministering, I'm soaking wet"). Nevertheless, this is a good resource for quick bios of pop stars (and some nonpop stars, too, such as Philip Glass and Meredith Monk) of several generations. Martin turns from examining a single pretentious rock band (Music of Yes [BKL N 15 96]) to apply his skills as "philosopher and social theorist" to so-called progressive rock generally. His assessments of which bands qualify as progressive may give many pause, for they tend to arbitrarily distinguish between similar acts: the Beatles are progressive, the Rolling Stones aren't; Jethro Tull is, Pink Floyd isn't; etc. King Crimson and Yes are Martin's progressive ideals, but Traffic is barely mentioned. Of such distinctions are bar and dorm-room arguments born and reading interest generated. Occasionally heavy sledding, Martin's book will please the like-minded and predictably provoke others into declaring it academic hogwash. Think of it as American Bandstand's "Rate-a-Record" segment dressed up in gown and mortarboard. Talk about diversity, talk about identity, talk about icons--White's in-depth look at Tupac Shakur talks about all of 'em, plus offering White's own brusque cultural insights. Perfectly marrying style to subject, White starts off with a photo of Shakur flipping the bird and continues to give a point-by-point accounting of a career that was just starting to bloom when Tupac was gunned down. A high point is White's discussion of how the pop-music media reported--and "played" --the story of Shakur's end, in which he refers specifically to how Vibe magazine's editor and others "indulged [Shakur's] recklessness." A sparse discography and filmography and a convenient time line fill out a forthright effort to assess the life and career of a star lost just as he seemed on the road to pop-cultural immortality. --Mike Tribby
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Raised by his mother amid a network of political radicals including the imprisoned Black Panthers Geronimo Pratt and his stepfather, Mutulu Shakur, the troubled, charismatic rap star, who died in a drive-by shooting last year at age 25, undoubtedly saw life as nasty, brutish and short. Seeking to situate Shakur as heir not only to his mother's politics but also to an eclectic African American musical tradition, White (The Resistance) analyzes Shakur's "Thug Life" persona. The author seeks to decode the racial and cultural significance of every aspect of Shakur's appearance, including his tattoos ("doubly meaningful: they created a tribal code and by the unique methods of primitive tattooingprisoners use a cassette motor and guitar string setup to put messages in fleshthey indicate music industry indenture"). White makes some illuminating points, including a few arresting juxtapositions of Tupac's work with that of artists ranging from Stephen Sondheim to Merle Haggard. Overall, however, his analysis is marred by fuzzy thinking and pretentious writing. Shakur, we learn, had "learned an impatient, multi-source agitation (from both the holy church and the wicked state) that, without a common moral impetus, proved to be politicalthough not perhaps moral: he preferred action; but in action without retrospection, agitation turns back on itself." Gangsta-rap fans may howl at the book's convoluted prose and intellectual posturing, while others will scratch their heads over words that obscure rather than illuminate the tragically short life of Shakur and his violent and misunderstood milieu. Most Shakur fans may find Tupac Shakur, by the editors of Vibe, more to their taste. Illustrations. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Well-known journalist and author White describes the life of murdered rapper/actor Tupac Shakur (1971-96), attempting to connect Shakur's life with the African American experience during the last three decades. He begins with the rapper's birth to an absentee father and a mother who played a major role in the New York Black Panther movement. The author continues with the young Shakur's impoverished childhood, his constant moves from city to city, and his early interest in drama. Chronicling Shakur's short-lived but influential career, White outlines his stint as a dancer with the Digital Underground, his breakthrough second album, his three subsequent multiplatinum efforts, and his various roles in such movies as Juice and Poetic Justice. He also details the rapper's trouble with the law, his incarceration at Riker's Island prison, and his untimely death. Though clearly showing the change from the political activism and hope of Shakur's mother to Tupac's materialistic cynicism, White has interviewed few subjects and done only modest secondary research in his attempt to place the rap star in a larger social and cultural context. This will appeal mostly to fans of standard rock biography.David P. Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
