“With thoughtful attention to detail, Jackson offers a believable cast of Black teens immersed in a particularly rich hip-hop moment. an engaging ode to ’90s hip-hop and to love in many forms.” - BookPage (starred review) ★ “Readers will feel connected to these teens’ love of hip-hop, their loyalty to each other and their love for their community. ★ “This YA novel harmonizes music and prose to create a certified literary banger.” - Shelf Awareness (starred review) Jackson scores a bull’s-eye with her passionate homage to black city life in the late ’90s, yet it’s her earnest takes on creativity, love, and loss that are timeless.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review) ★ “Deftly chronicles the timely story of bold young talent gone too soon. Jackson weaves the three points of view together seamlessly, creating richly drawn and authentically real teen characters.” - ALA Booklist (starred review)

★ “Jackson repeatedly proves that she is a titan among her peers, and her latest novel is no exception. ★ “Exceptional storytelling, well-crafted, true-to-life dialogue, and the richly drawn Brooklyn landscape will draw readers into this fast-paced blend of mystery, budding romance, and social commentary.Thoroughly engrossing and as infectious as Steph’s lyrics.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) And with everything riding on Steph’s fame, they need to decide what they stand for or lose all that they’ve worked so hard to hold on to-including each other. When his demo catches the attention of a hotheaded music label rep, the trio must prove Steph’s talent from beyond the grave.Īs the pressure of keeping their secret grows, Quadir, Jarrell, and Jasmine are forced to confront the truth about what happened to Steph. With the help of Steph’s younger sister Jasmine, they come up with a plan to promote Steph’s music under a new rap name: the Architect. But that doesn’t mean that Quadir and Jarrell are cool letting their best friend Steph’s music lie forgotten under his bed after he’s murdered-not when his rhymes could turn any Bed Stuy corner into a party. Biggie Smalls was right: Things done changed.

Jackson tells the story of three Brooklyn teens who plot to turn their murdered friend into a major rap star by pretending he's still alive.īrooklyn, 1998.

In this striking new novel by the critically acclaimed author of Allegedly and Monday’s Not Coming, Tiffany D.

Let me hear a rhyme tiffany d jackson