Stevie Wonder, Meshell, Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, Gregory Issacs, Bob Marley, Dwele, Ghostface Killah, Little Brother, Big Daddy Kane, Donnie, Floetry, Capleton, Amel Larrieux, Goapele, John Legend, Anthony Hamilton, Van Hunt, Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Nina Simone, Donald Lawrence, Fred Hammond, Beres Hammond, Bilal, Common, Erykah Badu, Jaguar Wright, Joi, Mos Def, Prince, Rashaan Patterson, Raphael Saadiq, Sam Cooke, Talib, Tweet, Sizzla, Raheem Devaughn, Rakim, Biggie
Books
James Baldwin, Maryse Conde, Langston Hughes, Percival Everett, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Octavia Butler, Greg Tate, Mark Anthony Neal, jessica care moore-Poole, E.Ethelbert Miller, Carl Hancock Rux, Javaka Steptoe, Adam Mansbach, Chris Abani, Audre Lourde, Haki Madhubuti, bell hooks, Nikki Giovanni, Jean Toomer, Ralph Ellison, Gloria Naylor, Edwidge Danticat, Jamaica Kincaid, Robert Stone, Flannery O'Connor, Mayra Montero, Junot Diaz, Edward P. Jones, Black Artemis, Elizabeth Nunez, Marlon James, Kalisha Buckhanon, Barbara Summers
I write articles, reviews, news stories, profiles, business communications, marketing pieces, opinion, commentary, and am working on two book projects.
I'll be here on Tuesday, March 25. Come check me!!!
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
I'm a writer, booklover, literacy advocate, and hip-hop baby. I'm the author of THE MESSAGE: 100 LIFE LESSONS FROM HIP-HOP'S GREATEST SONGS (Thunder's Mouth Press/Perseus, October 2007), coauthor of the young adult anthology HALLWAY DIARIES (Harlequin/Kimani Tru, September 2007), and author of EVERYBODY HATES FIRST GIRLFRIENDS (Simon & Schuster, September 2007), a chapter book in the book series based on the award-winning television show Everybody Hates Chris.She’s written about hip-hop, books, publishing and pop culture for various publications including VIBE, Publishers Weekly, PopMatters and the Baltimore City Paper. She’s a contributing writer at AOL Black Voices and the managing editor of Mosaic Literary Magazine. She is the founder of BackList (www.thebacklist.net), an organization dedicated to keeping books in style. As a literacy advocate, Felicia has been an invited speaker at various publishing and literary panels and serves on the board for the Literary Freedom Project. She has a M.A. in writing and publishing from Emerson College and currently lives in Maryland. Visit her website at www.feliciapride.com. READ THE ENTIRE BIO.
THE MESSAGE (October 2007, Thunder’s Mouth Press, 1-56858-335-4, HC, $15.99, 256 pages) is a DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF for the hip-hop generation—a compendium of real wisdom that has been distilled from the all-time greatest hip-hop songs. Pride examines a wide range of hip-hop songs and artists, interpreting life through their lenses. Growing up with hip-hop, Pride has come to realize the way it shaped how she thinks, writes, reacts and how it has helped to make her the person that she is today. By incorporating her experiences and reflections with the rappers’ messages, Pride focuses on the positive, motivational influence hip-hop has had on its audience. With each life lesson aptly titled after a hip-hop song, such as Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks,” EPMD’s “Please Listen to My Demo,” or Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” THE MESSAGE explores spirituality, success, love, business, and more through hip-hop.
WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE MESSAGE
"An amazing book. Definitely informative and a great read!”—CL Smooth
"Because it'll remind you of why you fell in love with hip-hop"--Sister 2 Sister magazine
"The Message is one of the best literary works I have ever read and has motivated me to start penning my own piece. Thanks for the inspiration."--Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of "The Wendy Williams Experience"
"Your book is on point! I had no idea it would be this good."--Paul Porter, Industry Ears
"Writer Felicia Pride offers a twist on the self-help genre: She compiles words of wisdom by old-school rap giants like Public Enemy ("Fight the Power") all the way up to reigning chart king Kanye West ("Jesus Walks")...The Message stays positive."--Cleveland Scene
"[Pride's] having a dialogue between author and reader about “Life”, with a capital “L”, and our places in it..."--PopMatters
"...self-help skills exchange for the fat beats generation."--Idolator
“It is high time that someone wrote a book of meditations for the hip hop generation, and that is exactly what Felicia Pride has done with THE MESSAGE. This is Chicken Soup for the hip hop soul, Acts of Faith for b-boys and b-girls, Daily Cornbread with recipes written in rhyme. Everyone who loves hip hop should keep a copy of THE MESSAGE on the night table and consult it each morning.”—Black Artemis, author of the hip-hop novels Explicit Content, Picture Me Rollin’ and Burn
“True hip hop heads have been hard pressed to justify their devotion recently. Felicia Pride reminds us why we remain loyal with The Message: 100 Life Lessons From Hip Hop’s Greatest Songs. She reveals how these classic rhymes instructed, preached, consoled, comforted and inspired her -- anyone who ever wrote down the lyrics to their favorite joints will recall why hip hop is, and will continue to be, a part of their lives.”--Mic Life Magazine
"...makes a literate case for lyrical import and can be used to whack over the heads of all those gratuitous hip-hop haters who diss the music without even hearing a note." --Go and Do Michigan
"...one of the greatest feats of these pages is that by sharing and explaining her picks, she makes you want to recount and relive your own."-- Campus Circle
Black Artemis
Black Artemis hails THE MESSAGE as "Chicken Soup for the Hip Hop Soul."
Campus Circle
"...one of the greatest feats of these pages is that by sharing and explaining her picks, she makes you want to recount and relive your own." Grade: A
Go and Do Michigan "...this hand-sized collection of essays about "The Message," "Jesus Walks," "Planet Rock" and 97 others makes a literate case for lyrical import and can be used to whack over the heads of all those gratuitous hip-hop haters who diss the music without even hearing a note."
"Hip-Hop Connection" Voice of America Rod Murray interviews me about what we can learn from hip-hop.
Idolator
"...self-help skills exchange for the fat beats generation."
Lynne d Johnson
Lynne writes some crazy kind words about the book on her very popular blog.
Minneapolis/St. Paul CityPages. "Writer Felicia Pride offers a twist on the self-help genre: She compiles words of wisdom by old-school rap giants like Public Enemy ("Fight the Power") all the way up to reigning chart king Kanye West ("Jesus Walks"). Don't go looking for nuggets like Eazy-E's "Nuts on Ya Chin," however; The Message stays positive."
Mosaic Books
Ron Kavanaugh reviews THE MESSAGE launch party held at Negril Village. He also comments on the food.
NPR's Talk of the Nation
Host Neal Conan interviews me about the inspiration in hip-hop songs and invites callers to talk about songs that hold meaning in their lives.
PopMatters
"Instead of analyzing the songs or critiquing hip-hop in general, she uses them as literary cliffs, going to the edge of each song’s subject matter and then jumping off into the memories and musings suggested by the music. She accomplishes this, without rambling or going on tangents, because the chapters are short but densely packed with ideas, kind of like when you read haiku. When a good haiku poem ends, your mind keeps riding along."
Real Talk NY.
"Very good idea to look at what lessons can be learned from Hip Hop instead of always focusing on the negative effects. I’m sure we have all learned a lot from Hip Hop, good and bad."
Rhymes, Views & New
Within the pages of The Message: 100 Life Lessons From Hip Hop's Greatest Songs, author Felicia Pride shares similar memories with us and invokes our hip hop laced past. Not only does Pride break down the meaning of each of the songs represented within The Message, she also provides inspirational anecdotes from her life. The author shines a light on what is positive about hip hop so that we too can absorb valuable insights from these songs. Readers of all ages will be able to get something meaningful from The Message.
Scheme Magazine Scheme interviewed me about books, publishing, hip-hop and THE MESSAGE. Dope indie mag.
"Strictly Hip-Hop" WEAA 88.9 FM Morgan State University The Baltimore hip-hop institution interviews me about THE MESSAGE.
TheGrits.com
Marlive Harris talks with me about THE MESSAGE, hip-hop, and literature.
USA Today
In her recent book The Message, Felicia Pride sets out to "extract motivational mantras" from 100 favorite hip-hop songs. Wu-Tang Clan's Tearz reminds Pride that "our time here is short," while The Notorious B.I.G.'s Things Done Changed prompts musings on the unrealized dreams of the civil rights movement. Dialing the seriousness down a notch, USA TODAY asks Pride to decode the messages buried deep within some of pop music's more enigmatic hits.
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VIBE Magazine VPicks Book selection for holiday reading in December 2007 issue
Vocalized Ink Radio Dean Russell interviewed me about hip-hop, publishing, and the writing game.
The TANTRUM Book Tour continues in Baltimore with author Charles D. Ellison signing copies of his witty, suspenseful and gritty political thriller. Stop by and talk all about the 2008 elections with the XM Radio Host of "Blackpolicy. org:"
10.25.08 @ 2PM - 5PM Sepia, Sand & Sable CHARLES D. ELLISON’s Book Signing 6638 Reistersttown Road, Baltimore, MD
Author Charles D. Ellison will be in D.C. this Friday signing copies of his newly released, critically-acclaimed political thriller TANTRUM at the following locations/times:
Friday, 9.26.08 @ 11AM - 1PM Congressional Black Caucus Authors Pavilion Washington Convention Center CHARLES D. ELLISON's Book Signing 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW Washington, DC
Friday, 9.26.08 @ 3PM - 6PM DC Bookman (Street Vendor Signing) HICKSON & CHARLES D. ELLISON's Book Signing 23rd and I Street, NW Washington, DC
She defines the beauty of our times, From coconut and caramel to the darkest of melanin, Hers is destined to shine, From her skin to the magic fountain within, Her passion speaks first to man’s second appetition, and may one day lead to the creator’s blessing, She is seriously statuesque, In fact, Her best features can be, Seen and touched, Heard in her voice, Tasted and felt, A heart that races to melt glaciers of love, She is all ways lovely and, Forever loved.
