Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation

Hopkinson, Natalie and Natalie Y. Moore. "Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation", Cleis Press, 2006, What Makes a Man? Amos Lassen Natalie Hopkinson and Natalie Moore use the name "Tyrone" to symbolize the black man as seen through the media lens and stereotype as well as through the eyes of the black woman. They look at black masculinity from different perspectives with insight so as not to find a consensus but a new way of looking. By doing so they tear down the myths about the black male and thereby bring about a sense of hope and provide a door for change to open. They look at issues rarely spoken about and show us a complex and vibrant masculinity that destroys some of the ideas already held. The black man has for too long been depicted as the archetype of a smooth-talking man with lots of swagger, "rhythm and flow". Here is a discussion of race that breaks new ground and shows that color is just that; color. We see here black men that many of us do not know or else we do know and do not want to acknowledge. The book is clearly a labor of love and we need to embrace the love with which it was written.

Very interesting insight. Made me review my perspective on Black Masculinity. I enjoyed it.

Its about time that some one came out with a book like this. It was an interesting read. In the book, it dealt with issues that ALL men deal with; it deals with the black male; how we can overcome some of the issues that we are dealing with.

When Erykah Badu sang the song Tyrone, it was a defining statement of a black man and what he does or does not do. DECONSTRUCTING TYRONE by Natalie Hopkinson and Natalie Y. Moore examines the dichotomy of black men and their masculinity from different perspectives. They look at how the media portrays black men and how people view them in the hip-hop generation. The chapter "Boy Born Saturday" talks about Michigan's "Hip-Hop Mayor", Kwame Kilpatrick and his role as mayor of Detroit and how he is perceived in and outside of Michigan. The chapter named "Thomas, 36" is about Washington Wizards forward Etan Thomas, a basketball player who has a voice outside of the basketball arena, who is not afraid to pronounce his dissent to the Iraq war and is not afraid to write poetry as well. The chapter "Hip-Hop" further explores the role of hip-hop on black men and how their masculinity is seen. And one of the most interesting chapters was "Boy Born Friday" about Kofi "Debo" Ajabu, a young man schooled and trained in the Black Panther Militia, college student and a gang member. His life takes a turn for the worse and even with all his knowledge and his belief the establishment has been a suppressor, his own actions caused him the biggest trouble. The other chapters in the book are just as informative and insightful. DECONSTRUCTING TYRONE: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation is not a negative portrayal of black men, but the truth as seen from different viewpoints. Hopkinson and Moore used a variety of sources, even their own personal views to explore black masculinity. Although some of the observations are not new, they are still meaningful. Hopkinson and Moore are not offering definitive solutions for a better perception of black men, just views on how they are perceived and ways to hopefully open dialogue for change. Reviewed by Cashana Seals of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Two African-American, female journalists, the Natalies, discuss current topics related to African-American males. Oftentimes, I think journalists don't make quality booklength works. I am glad these writers overcame that trend. They cover a wide range of topics from boys' education, strippers, gay men, entrepreneurialism, inter alia. Because of the East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry, many Americans, across racial identities, forget that many Blacks live in the Midwest. Black Chicagoans made house music and Black Detroiters made techno, for example. This book is heavily Midwest-focused, and I appreciated that novelty, especially as a Black person from the region. This book is much stronger than Cose's "Envy of the World" or Dawsey's "Living to Tell About It." You may want to read it alongside strong works such as Neal's "New Black Man." This was published by Cleis Press. I am impressed how that press is including more than Susie Bright fans recently. I learned some interesting things from this book. For example, the Natalies say that upper-class Black men marry as rarely as poor Black males. I love that the authors call out Jawanza Kunjufu on his homophobic writings. Still, the journalists come to no conclusion and this may frustrate many. For example, do they think Detroit's Mayor Kilpatrick is a bad or good politician? Do they think strippers are victims of abuse or women with much agency and business skills? Also, some chapters felt too internal, as if they were talking to themselves, rather than about topics that others would find interesting. Two chapters, one on strippers and one on adolescent girls, troubled the ideas of Black masculinity. On the one hand, these chapters can be seen as anti-essentialist. As women's studies departments become gender studies departments, space is being made to discuss males and this book reflects that. This may prove, again, how much males and females need each other. On the other hand, some may say the writers are going off-topic. These female-dominant chapters may suggest the writers were running out of topics or had to go to women in order to discuss Black males. The authors spoke in Chicago in November of last year and I regret not hearing their talk deeply. I recommend this book for many readers, across age and gender categories.