Holler If You Hear Me

By: Michael Eric Dyson

Narrated by: Cary Hite

Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

Tupac Amaru Shakur (1971–1996) was an American rap artist, actor, and social activist. More than seventy-five million of his albums have sold worldwide, making him one of the bestselling music artists in the world. Rolling Stone magazine named him the 86th Greatest Artist of All Time.

Shakur also gained notoriety for his conflicts with the law and time spent in prison.

Most of Tupac’s songs are about growing up amid violence and hardship in ghettos, racism, other social problems, and conflicts with other rappers during the East Coast–West Coast hip-hop rivalry.

In September 1996, after attending a boxing match in Las Vegas, Shakur was shot four times and died several days later.

Shakur’s double album, All Eyez on Me, is one of the highest-selling rap albums of all time, with more than five million copies of the album sold in the United States alone. A Vibe magazine poll in 2004 rated Shakur “the greatest rapper of all time” as voted by fans. In 2010, he was inducted to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

More than a decade after his murder, Tupac Shakur is even more loved, contested, and celebrated than he was in life. His posthumously released albums, poetry, and motion pictures have catapulted him into the upper echelon of American cultural icons. In Holler If You Hear Me, “hip-hop intellectual” Michael Eric Dyson, acclaimed author of the best-selling Is Bill Cosby Right?, offers a wholly original way of looking at Tupac that will thrill those who already love the artist and enlighten those who want to understand him.

©2001 Michael Eric Dyson (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc. and Buck 50 Productions, LLC

Critic Reviews

“Among the young black intellectuals to emerge since the demise of the civil rights movement…[Dyson is] undoubtedly the most insightful and thought-provoking.” (Manning Marable, author of Malcolm X)

WORST PRODUCTION ON AUDIBLE!

I've listened to hundreds of books and this is the worst! This is a good book, but the producer or whoever is in charge of the recorded version really ruined this book! If you can get past the hundreds of times the narrator says "quote, unquote," you'll enjoy the book. Tupac was a complex man with good life lessons to be heard. I couldn't continue because of the annoying narrative. The narrator is very good though.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Narration makes this unlistenable

The narrator's voice is fine, but stating "quote" and "unquote" at the beginning and end of EVERY quote, no matter how minor, disrupts any flow and is extremely distracting, especially in a book that is extremely reliant on quotes. I wanted to finish this, but after 2 hours, gave up because of this peculiar and irritating style.

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

An Audio Book That Makes Me Want to Read More

What made the experience of listening to Holler If You Hear Me the most enjoyable?

Learning more of Tupac's background and how he influenced and touched those around him.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Holler If You Hear Me?

Hard to pick just one.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

"Quote." Something someone says. "Unquote." It's terrible. Listen, I know it's a quote. You do not have to keep saying it. The story is fine and enjoyable, but I had to continually stop listening as this "Quote" "Unquote" thing drove me crazy.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Seeking the legend of Tupac through the eyes of someone who didn't know him meeting those who knew him best.

Any additional comments?

Quote. The narrator is the only thing to hate about this. Unquote.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Dyson’s analysis of society

This is more a sociological analysis through the lens of Tupac’s life and multitude of examples his unique life, perspective, experience and death provide. Not bad if your looking for a lens or examples to make a point.

I would have enjoyed more a book that was “searching for Tupac Shakur” through his lyrics and his own analysis of society instead of Dyson’s.

Reading got tedious with all the “quote”, “end quote”.

Well Done!

Loved the story!! I learned more than I could believe about someone I thought I knew!! Thank you!!

It was okay I guess.

Aside from a few bits of good information I didn't know about Tupac and the things people who knew him had to say about him as well as an affirmation of things I did.

This book was pretty much a boring read.
(shrug)

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

What Life

Never locates the true Pac. Mike E Dyson hollers... there's hardly a reason 2 listen

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

great read,

I really enjoyed this book. Dyson describes Tupac's life unlike anyone. One of the most influential rappers of our time.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful