Riot Recommendation: What Are Your Favorite Musician Memoirs?
A portrait of race, meaning, and the search for self across centuries and continents. From hip-hop artist Jason Diakité comes a stunning account of growing up between worlds, riding a delicate cultural and racial divide. A Drop of Midnight is Jason’s remarkable memoir and an unflinching look at not only his own history, but that of generations affected by the trauma of the African diaspora, then and now. Jason draws on conversations with his parents, research, and personal experiences to paint a vivid picture of race, discrimination, family, and ambition. Read or listen for free with Prime.
Stories of musical legends have long intrigued us, from their early lives to their ascent to fame and beyond. Some of you have never toggled between channels to try and catch the latest music videos and it shows. I, however, am old enough to remember being glued to the television set whenever a new episode of Behind the Music came on; the impossible highs and crushing lows, the battling of demons, the exacting price of fame—the people behind the ballads and bops that move us are as complex as they are fascinating.
This is why readers love a musician memoir; we get the most personal version of the story straight from the source. The last year alone has brought us memoirs by some true musical icons: there’s the Rocket Man himself Elton John; the incomparable musical genius that is Prince; the elusive chanteuse Mariah Carey (Lambily fam, where you at!?). So tell us, Riot readers: what musician memoirs should we read next? Shout your favorites at us on Facebook and Twitter, then we’ll round up your answers and be back next week to share a roundup of your recommendations. We’ll ready our TBRs and our playlists!
