Episode #1- On The Come Up ft. Maya Boansi
Angie Thomas’ thought-provoking novel, On The Come Up, features a 16-year-old, aspiring rapper named Bri. The story shows the ups and downs that someone living in an underprivileged neighborhood can encounter. In this episode, I convince my friend Maya to read On the Come Up by engaging in conversation about;
- Gang culture
- The importance of equal opportunity
- The controversy around rap music
This book really highlights the struggles of being an African-American living in Bri’s environment and how if fame gets to your head, it can be very dangerous. Everyone can learn from this book because it is an illustration of realistic situations from the eyes of a teenager learning her place in the world.
I connected to Bri’s character because I know people in real life who are experiencing her struggle. It breaks my heart when people are robbed of basic things like an education or a job opportunity due to stereotypes and skin color.
Meet the Guest: Maya Boansi!
Maya Boansi is 15 years old, hilarious, confident, and runs track. She loves reading and her favorite kind of books to read are contemporary young adult novels. In this episode we explore topics about race, identity, and a parent’s influence on their kids. She is very passionate about issues that impact African-Americans (especially teenagers), and could identify with the main character in On the Come Up; Bri.
Topics Tackled in the Story
Controversy around rap culture and gang culture were two very prominent parts of the story. I decided to do some research during and after reading the book and found a really interesting infographic about the history of rap! Take a look, the content is cool!
Infographic found on- https://visual.ly/community/Infographics/entertainment/ultimate-history-hip-hop?action=likes