"Kevin Powell thoughtfully weaves together the connective tissue between gender, race, sexuality, pop culture, and sports through a series of raw, incredibly personal essays. He masterfully uses his own life experiences to force us to take an uncomfortable look at how we’ve been conditioned to adopt, accept, and extend the unfortunate American traditions of hate and violence.”— Jemele Hill, ESPN anchor, commentator, writer

“Hip-hop has been the most influential cultural force of the last fifty years and no writer has understood its power quite like Kevin Powell. It's not just music. It's a lens to understand the world and Kevin Powell wields it to further our understanding of racism, manhood, and our troubled political times. Make no mistake about it: Whether writing about Harvey Weinstein, his mother, or American football, this book is hip-hop in the best sense of the phrase, in that it challenges the readers to step outside of themselves. Powell takes us to a place beyond the beats. It's a place most fear to tread, but if we hope to salvage this country, it's a place we all need to understand."— David Zirin, writer and editor for The Nation

“Kevin Powell’s writing never fails to be both profoundly insightful and brilliantly inciting. His words are unassuming daggers, piercing the skin of racism in America, gender inequality, misogyny, and the socio-political impact of our greatest icons while expertly avoiding clichés and pretension. His work provides a compassionate examination of our contemporary ethos, and inspires us to move beyond apathy into full social accountability.”— Dominique Morisseau, Obie Award-winning playwright