Whose America? New & Selected Poems
by Ewuare X. Osayande
with an introduction by Haki R. Madhubuti
$15 Paperback (124 pages)
Writing in the socially-engaged poetic tradition of Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman, Ewuare X. Osayande releases his latest book entitled Whose America?, a collection of poems that takes on the political climate of this country and garners the praises of two living legends of Black poetry, Amiri Baraka and Haki R. Madhubuti, in the process. It is from this artistic trajectory that Osayande crafts a whirlwind of poems that chronicle the national political journey of the past few years. From Hurricane Katrina to the current economic crisis, Osayande is a bard that pays homage to the strength of the human spirit with each poem. Readers have come to appreciate Osayande’s internationalist worldview. In Whose America? Osayande is reporter, translator, interpreter and negotiator. He takes us from the ghettoes of Paris to the marshes of Nigeria to the ruins of Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. He remembers the lives of activists and cultural icons such as Octavia E. Butler, Gil Scott-Heron, Lucille Clifton and Ken Saro-Wiwa. Osayande’s poems cry forth a defiance that is rooted in an unflinching love for humanity.
“Ewuare Osayande is a big picture, deep questioning, culturally specific language dancing poet. The Afrocandity of his work is undeniable, yet distinctively remarkable, creative and refreshing. He is a storyteller not defined by zip code but claims the earth and its people as his subjects. His voice is singular, urgent and a drumbeat redefining a world of possibilities for all.”
~From the introduction by Haki R. Madhubuti, Founder ofThird WorldPress
“Ewuare Osayande is one of the United States’ most important young poets! You should be able to tell just by the question his title raises that he is also one of the most perceptive and reality-driven writers to appear in a while.”
Amiri Baraka, Poet Icon
Misogyny & the Emcee: Sex, Race & Hip Hop
by Ewuare X. Osayande
$12 Paperback (112 pages)
Taking on the single most controversial issue in the hip hop world, award-winning author and political activist Ewuare X. Osayande pulls no punches and takes no prisoners in this tour de force of critical essays on the exploitation of Black women in the rap industry. Covering the major controversies in hip hop for the past several years, he dissects the lives and lyrics of such hip hop stars as Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Emimen, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Nelly, R. Kelly, Common, Dead Prez, Kirk Franklin and many more. But he doesn’t stop there. Osayande locates these artists within a nefarious web of corporate seduction and cultural imperialism. His writing targets the exact location where racism, sexism and capitalism intersect as it wreaks havoc on the lives and aspirations of Black youth and distorting how they are viewed worldwide. Misogyny and the Emcee is an unprecedented work – a Black man critically engaging the socio-political constructs of hip hop culture through the radical lens of Black womanist thought without compromise.
At a time when the outcry is minimal and the voices are tragically few, Ewuare Osayande’s Misogyny & the Emcee takes no prisoners and cuts straight to the chase on challenging all forms of inter and intra-racial violence perpetuated against Black women and girls. Too fierce!
Aishah Shahidah Simmons, Producer, Writer, Director, NO! The Rape Documentary
This is a powerful, passionate, compelling commentary on how popular culture, including so called “gangsta” rap and strip club hip hop, is complicit in the perpetuation of patriarchy and the abuse and degradation of Black women. Osayande is devastating and relentless in his logic, and unsparing in his willingness to name those who collaborate in corrupting and debasing Black culture. Ideal for general readers and especially courses in Black history, sociology and cultural studies.
Dr. Wayne Glasker, Associate Professor of History, Rutgers University-Camden
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