Let Me Hear a Rhyme Hardcover – May 21, 2019

Let Me Hear a Rhyme is told in first person with 3 POVs and flashbacks to 1997. I upgraded my book with whispersync and listened to the audio. The audio included four different narrators with distinct voices. At no point did I get confused when the POV switched because of Jackson's talent for characterization.Brooklyn is one of the major characters, including hip-hop. Jackson gives the folks hip-hop 101 lessons and you if don't know...now you know. She tributes Biggie because his death sends a shock wave through the Brooklyn community in 1998. Jackson incorporates Biggieism within text and uses his music as a soundtrack for certain scenes.Jackson subverts the usual Black kid shot in the hood trope. Do not expect the expected. All of the characters are written with nuance even the secondary characters. And each character is flawed, but not irredeemable. They all learn valuable life lessons and teach their elders a thing or two, but sometimes adults forget how to dream.Quadir - possess the soul of a writer, is a peacemaker.Jarrell - has untapped business potential with a love of computers and comics.Jasmine - rocks natural hair and a African medallion. She is walking encyclopedia of African American historical facts. Jackson's gems of Black History reminded me of Beverly Jenkins.Her skill at dialogue created an atmosphere for full immersion. All the conversations felt authentic to the era and age of the kids. Jackson brings tension to the text with Stephs death adding a mystery element that unraveled organically and realistically. In addition, to tapping into issues of individual vs community, the commodification of the Black woman's body in hip-hop, othering, poverty, violence and power of knowledge. Oh, and this book is Black af.If you were born in the 80s and grow up in the 90s prepare yourself to get the feels. -3 disc-CD changer- Boomerang poster- Aaliyah 's signature hair style- The Miseducation of Lauryn HillWill you read? ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5 stars

If you love Tiffany D. Jackson, or if you've never read one of her books, this is one you MUST read. It is a feel good story of friends, New York and music.This book took me back to my teenage years, specifically the year after I graduated from high school and it felt so damn good. So familiar, heartfelt and real. While reading I thought, wow, this could've really happened and wait, did this happen? Let Me Hear a Rhyme is a story that chronicles the daily struggles of inner city friends, the good times, secrets all of the realities that come with a real friendship. It tells a sweet story of a love that blossoms when you least expect it. And last but not least, it is a story about the love of hip hop, a love so pure that people just want to the art to be heard even when the artist is no longer here.I could be biased, cause this is my era but Jackson captures the essence of the golden era of hip hop when the world was still hurting over the loss of a giant and yet looking for the one who was going to be brave enough to step in those shoes.While, fictional, the plot is so believable as the picture painted throughout the course of this books is so authentic that it could've gone down just like that. If this was your generation, a time in your life in which you look upon fondly, get this book. If you're a teen wondering what it was like back then, you want to know what all the hype is about, pick up this book and don't put it down until you reach-- the end.

If there was ever a book written that speaks directly to the soul of 14-year-old me, it is Let Me Hear a Rhyme. On its surface, it’s a touching story of a group of friends refusing to let their friend become another anonymous victim of street violence. But it really feels like a long-overdue homage to the New York hip-hop scene at one of its most pivotal periods.The story takes place on the heels of the Notorious BIG’s murder, and opens with the funeral of Steph, a 16-year-old aspring rapper. With that major spoiler out of the way, the book turns to his sister Jasmine and his two best friends, Jarrell and Quadir, as they reckon with his loss and attempt to secure his legacy as one of the best to put on for Brooklyn. During their quest, they discover that each of them knew less about Steph’s life than they could have imagined.Let Me Hear a Rhyme doesn’t leave out any of the memorable people, places, and sounds of the New York hip-hop scene in the late ‘90s. Anyone who was a hip-hop head at that time will appreciate how Jackson weaves her story through the streets of Brooklyn. What’s most impressive is how seamlessly Jackson name-drops the biggest stars, club-commanding hits, biggest venues, and seminal events of the time. I can’t recall a time when I’ve read about The Tunnel — outside of maybe The Source or XXL — that appropriately revered the legendary club for how critical it was in the careers of so many artists, producers, and DJs and what an integral part of the hip-hop scene it was for everyone else. Overall, Let Me Hear a Rhyme is written with a level of care and authenticity that’s not always found. It doesn’t sugar coat the reality of Steph’s environment, but it also gives an inside glimpse that humanizes a community that’s often given short shrift in mass media.Reading Let Me Hear a Rhyme was certainly a nostalgic experience for me. Although I wasn’t in New York, it was definitely in my heart. Jasmine was a particularly relatable protagonist; I’ve never known another girl to get as excited as me to rush home to listen to Brand Nubian’s Foundation album. She could be me. Perhaps that’s why it’s so easy to empathize with what are otherwise risky and rash decisions of all three lead characters. For all their seemingly foolish bravado, it’s also simple to empathize with how and why they’re willing to take on what seem like impossible endeavors to not only break Steph into the music industry but to also find his killer.One of Jackson’s signatures is her approach to storytelling that blends present and past with multiple character perspectives. This style is particularly apt for Let Me Hear a Rhyme, because it highlights the nuanced relationships Steph had with his friends and family and the secrets each held with him. While this works well to get inside the heads of each character, it can be confusing at times trying to figure out the overall timeline. For me, it meant a lot of jumping back to previous chapters. If you’ve read Jackson before, this will feel familiar yet not quite as complicated as in Monday’s Not Coming.Once again, Tiffany D. Jackson has presented a book that tells a layered story in a captivating way. It’s clearly meant for a young adult audience, but I can’t help but recommend this to anyone who’s on the cusp of being a Gen Xer & millennial. It is technically historical fiction, and it brilliantly captures what hip-hop felt like back then, for better or worse.

even though i never lived to see the 1970’s, this really made me feel like i was there to live in that era of hip hop. I loved how real the book was and the way it was written to really be able to feel the author levelling with the reader. This is definitely a must read for nyc hip-hop lovers.