Psalms of My People: A Story of Black Liberation as Told through Hip-Hop

by lenny duncan

If you want to understand the Black experience in the US, you have to understand hip-hop. James Baldwin, in his famous talk "The Struggle for the Artist's Integrity," suggests that "the poets (by which I mean all artists) are finally the only people who know the truth about us." And to understand the truth about the history of Black peoples in America, argues lenny duncan, we must look to the modern Black the hip-hop artist. In Psalms of My People, artist, scholar, and activist lenny duncan treats the work of hip-hop artists from the last several decades--from N.W.A, Tupac, and Biggie to Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z, and Kendrick Lamar--like sacred scripture. Their songs and lyrics are given full exegetical treatment--a critical and contextual interpretation of text--and are beautifully illustrated, with a blend of ancient and modern art styles illuminating every page. All the while, duncan traces the history of hip-hop, revealing it as a conduit to tell the modern story of Black liberation in this country, following the bloody trail from the end of the Civil Rights Era through the day George Floyd was sacrificed on the streets of America. "Who else but the hip-hop artist," asks Duncan, "has embodied the cries, pain, and secret concrete ? Whose art? Our art. Whose story is written in the book of life with crimson lines dipped in a well that is 400+ years deep? Whose story? Our story. For whom does God bring down empires? Us."

Genres: Poetry, Spirituality

279 pages, Hardcover

Published January 9, 2024

About the author

lenny duncan (they/them) is a writer, speaker, scholar, and media producer working at the forefront of racial justice in America. lenny is the author of Dear Church, United States of Grace, and Dear Revolutionaries, and a co-creator of the podcast BlackBerryJams with PRX. A PhD student in historical and cultural studies of religion, lenny is currently researching what they call "a people's history of magic." lenny is originally from West Philadelphia, has hitchhiked thousands of miles on American byways, and makes their home up and down the I-5 with their found family, and in the East Bay area of San Francisco for research.

Reviews

[Alexander Pyles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A polemically vibrant work, that will spark reflection among adherents of hip-hop and those adjacent. Not a feel good psalm, but a collection of lamentations in the tradition of Job and Prince.

[Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes an interesting approach of looking at hip hop song lyrics as sacred text. I appreciate this framing, as I personally believe there are spiritual lessons to be learned from nearly everything that exists around us. I did feel like the author could have been a bit more descriptive in some of the connections that have been made, particularly for readers who may need more context.

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest rating and review.]

[quinn ☆☇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book. Admittedly, I didn't know much about the subject when I first started reading this, but I found that the author's work is rather direct, speaking to you as the reader without a wall in between, and unique. It serves the purpose of the book well, and I liked that. At times it goes on a bit too much about one particular thing or another, but these moments are brief and the book as a whole is strong, with a unique voice.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick impressions: Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It is a small book that packs a lot of history and wisdom. It offers an interesting and different way to look at the Black American experience of struggle and liberation through hip hop. I do recommend this one for all libraries.

(Detailed review with some additional reading notes available on my blog soon.)

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is some of everything in the best possible way. And, as advertised, prophetic.

(NB I was given a finished copy of this book by its publisher.)

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique spiritual creation. A gift of a book. Recommend to humans.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful and thought provoking