Hip Hop & Hymns
A memoir of loving hard, falling apart and fighting back, set to an unrivalled playlist
$31.09
- Paperback
368 pages
- Release Date
31 May 2022
Summary
‘Hip hop and hymns: the two would always go hand in hand for me. My life would always straddle both. The sacred and the profane, all living on the same block, all divine in the end.’
Mawunyo Gbogbo is a church-going African Australian girl growing up in the sleepy mining town of Muswellbrook, NSW. At home, her parents argue all the time, and sibling rivalry runs deep. At primary school, Black Is Beautiful until a racist bully dares to tell her otherwise. But at high school, she falls …
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781761042065 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1761042068 |
| Author: | Mawunyo Gbogbo |
| Publisher: | Penguin Australia Pty Ltd |
| Imprint: | Penguin Random House Australia |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 368 |
| Release Date: | 31 May 2022 |
| Weight: | 484g |
| Dimensions: | 1mm x 1mm x 1mm |
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Critics Review
Hip Hop & Hymns is a beautiful and heart-wrenching memoir by Mawunyo Gbogbo, music and pop culture reporter for the ABC. Gbogbo begins her story in Ghana, where her parents first met and where she was born. We then follow their migration to Australia in the 80s and their life in the small country town of Muswellbrook, which Gbogbo remembers fondly. Very early in her life she falls in love with hip-hop and the representation she sees in the genre, as well as church hymns, an expression of her faith. A key part of this memoir is Gbogbo’s relationship with her on-again off-again childhood sweetheart Tyce, through which she explores many important themes. Though the two love each other, their turbulent relationship takes its toll on Gbogbo as Tyce struggles with addiction, abuse, mental health issues and adjusting to life outside of prison. In fact, Gbogbo gives us great insight into many of the relationships in her life-she is extremely honest in her writing, and the reader is swiftly drawn to her story. With her, we revel in her successes, cringe at her mistakes, and empathise as she navigates adolescence and adulthood. Each chapter of rich storytelling is layered with wisdom and advice, making this memoir perfect for those who enjoyed Elaine Welteroth’s More Than Enough and Maxine Beneba-Clarke’s The Hate Race. Tracy-Kate Simambo is a writer and former Djed Press mentee.
About The Author
Mawunyo Gbogbo
Mawunyo Gbogbo is a music and pop culture reporter for Double J and ABC News, and the author of Hip Hop & Hymns.
She has worked as a journalist for ABC NewsRadio; a features reporter and producer for ABC Radio Sydney; a segment producer for the Today show on the Nine Network; and an associate producer for Insight on SBS TV, where she won a UN Media Peace Award.
Mawunyo was born in Ghana, raised in Muswellbrook in the NSW Hunter Valley, and now calls Sydney home.
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