Wednesday, June 16, 2010
CONTEST: Win a Copy of Tupac Shakur: The Life and Times of an American Icon
On the occasion of what would have been hip hop icon Tupac Shakur's 39th birthday, The Kitchen and Perseus Books' Da Capo Press offer you an opportunity to win a copy of the 'Pac biography, Tupac Shakur: The Life and Times of an American Icon written by Tayannah Lee McQuillar & Fred L. Johnson III (PhD.).
Its a solid book overall and a very quick read that definitely put me up on some background and life story and career details about 'Pac that I wasn't aware of. The book kind of fell short in a couple major areas IMHO though: first, it was lacking any real first person research interviews or deep investigative reporting on the part of the authors, drawing heavily on secondary sources & interviews instead. Second, the analysis of Pac's music came across as really stiff and academic and not by a true hip hop aficionado which I could have let slide if it wasn't coupled with a few really poor rookie-status factual errors mark throughout the book. That being said, the book paints a pretty complete portrait of all the factors that led to the magnificent but contradictory mess that was the artist, Tupac Shakur and is worth your time still....
Here's the official plug:
"In 1996 Tupac Shakur, one of the most talented artists of his time, was murdered by an unknown gunman. Fred L. Johnson and Tayannah Lee McQuillar examine the theories surrounding his death and the story of Tupac’s lost legacy in this definitive biography.
For millions, Shakur gave voice to their stories, but there was also another side to him, revealed as his life spun out of control, as the whispered warnings from friends went unheeded and the denunciations of critics grew louder. Disturbingly, he sang and wrote about his impending death. When it came, it brought the music industry to its knees and ended an era when American rappers were leaders in using their art to speak the truth to corporate, government, and judicial power."
CONTEST DETAILS:
I'll keep it simple to win the book this time around: email me (subject line: '2Pac Book Contest') and tell me your favorite Pac album. Get me your email by midnight EST Thursday night/Friday morning and I'll announce a winner sometime on Friday.
If you aren't lucky enough to win the book, you can always BUY it via Amazon.com HERE
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Labels: 2pac, Tupac Shakur
