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4.0
The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are
By Tariq TrotterPublisher Description
“Tariq Trotter . . . could be hip-hop’s Dostoyevsky. Like the Russian novelist, Mr. Trotter has refined literary fire from the soulful furnace of pain and suffering.”— The New York Times
From one of our generation’s most powerful artists and incisive storytellers comes a brilliantly crafted work about the art—and war—of becoming who we are.
upcycle verb
up·cy·cle ˈəp-ˌsī-kəl
: to recycle (something) in such a way that the resulting product is of a higher value than the original item
: to create an object of greater value from (a discarded object of lesser value)
Today Tariq Trotter—better known as Black Thought—is the platinum-selling, Grammy-winning co-founder of The Roots and one of the most exhilaratingly skillful and profound rappers our culture has ever produced. But his story begins with a as a child, Trotter burned down his family’s home. The years that follow are the story of a life snatched from the flames, forged in fire.
In The Upcycled Self, Trotter doesn’t only narrate a riveting and moving portrait of the artist as a young man, he gives readers a courageous model of what it means to live an examined life. In vivid vignettes, he tells the dramatic stories of the four powerful relationships that shaped him—with community, friends, art, and family—each a complex weave of love, discovery, trauma, and loss.
And beyond offering the compellingly poetic account of one artist’s creative and emotional origins, Trotter explores the vital questions we all have to confront about our formative How can we see the story of our own young lives clearly? How do we use that story to understand who we’ve become? How do we forgive the people who loved and hurt us? How do we rediscover and honor our first dreams? And, finally, what do we take forward, what do we pass on, what do we leave behind? This is the beautifully bluesy story of a boy genius’s coming-of-age that illuminates the redemptive power of the upcycle.
From one of our generation’s most powerful artists and incisive storytellers comes a brilliantly crafted work about the art—and war—of becoming who we are.
upcycle verb
up·cy·cle ˈəp-ˌsī-kəl
: to recycle (something) in such a way that the resulting product is of a higher value than the original item
: to create an object of greater value from (a discarded object of lesser value)
Today Tariq Trotter—better known as Black Thought—is the platinum-selling, Grammy-winning co-founder of The Roots and one of the most exhilaratingly skillful and profound rappers our culture has ever produced. But his story begins with a as a child, Trotter burned down his family’s home. The years that follow are the story of a life snatched from the flames, forged in fire.
In The Upcycled Self, Trotter doesn’t only narrate a riveting and moving portrait of the artist as a young man, he gives readers a courageous model of what it means to live an examined life. In vivid vignettes, he tells the dramatic stories of the four powerful relationships that shaped him—with community, friends, art, and family—each a complex weave of love, discovery, trauma, and loss.
And beyond offering the compellingly poetic account of one artist’s creative and emotional origins, Trotter explores the vital questions we all have to confront about our formative How can we see the story of our own young lives clearly? How do we use that story to understand who we’ve become? How do we forgive the people who loved and hurt us? How do we rediscover and honor our first dreams? And, finally, what do we take forward, what do we pass on, what do we leave behind? This is the beautifully bluesy story of a boy genius’s coming-of-age that illuminates the redemptive power of the upcycle.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities4 Reviews
4.0
LiterapyNYC
Created 5 months agoShare
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“Trotter, also known as Black Thought, wrote a love letter to his family, his art and his community in Philly. I love the way he writes about taking from the scraps of life to recreate and reimagine possibilities. He burned down his house when he was a small child and his mother laid compassion in his lap. He was never blamed. He writes about all the multi-layered people and experiences that shaped him with such love, respect and honor for self and others. It’s no wonder he’s one of the greatest MCs and poets of all time. I will read and reread this one over and over again.”Characters change and growMulti-layered charactersAddictiveImmersive settingThought-provoking
Kayla
Created 8 months agoShare
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“Glad I read it. The writing is really engaging for thought and reflection. I honestly just wish the book was longer to give more time to tell this story and reflect on how it changed his life more.”Reviewed in:Readers Who Run w/the Wolves
Beautifully writtenEasy to readRealistic settingThought-provokingAbuseRacismViolence
BrittsBusyReading
Created 8 months agoShare
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“Reading this book made me extremely reflective in how I relate to people, keeping in mind everyone most likely has a struggle (whether personally lived, or collectively experienced as a community) that effects how they show up in public spaces. This book was tough to read through certain sections, but I am grateful for the experience.”Reviewed in:Readers Who Run w/the Wolves
Lisa Weaver
Created 8 months agoShare
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Reviewed in:Readers Who Run w/the Wolves
Characters change and growEasy to readFast-pacedImmersive settingHeartbreakingThought-provokingAbuse
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