Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain

Hip-hop’s favorite poet and Grammy Award–winning artist J. Ivy bares his soul in this inspirational memoir of pain transformed into healing and empowerment.

J. Ivy is a true pioneer and trendsetter who’s bridged the worlds of hip-hop and poetry through his appearances on HBO’s Def Poetry and his collaborations with Kanye West and Jay-Z. But throughout his success, he carried with him the pain of being abandoned by his father and growing up in the tough neighborhoods of Chicago’s South Side.

So he sat down with pen and paper and processed his pain the only way he knew how—through poetry. The resulting poem, Dear Father, became his vehicle of forgiveness and healing. It is a pivotal poem that has touched and inspired the lives of millions.

Fused with his signature raw lyricism and street consciousness, J. Ivy’s memoir shows what it takes to deal with your emotions before your emotions deal with you. His story is personal yet universal, and will inspire others to channel whatever pain they have experienced into their own powerful gift of expression.

1119478504
Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain

Hip-hop’s favorite poet and Grammy Award–winning artist J. Ivy bares his soul in this inspirational memoir of pain transformed into healing and empowerment.

J. Ivy is a true pioneer and trendsetter who’s bridged the worlds of hip-hop and poetry through his appearances on HBO’s Def Poetry and his collaborations with Kanye West and Jay-Z. But throughout his success, he carried with him the pain of being abandoned by his father and growing up in the tough neighborhoods of Chicago’s South Side.

So he sat down with pen and paper and processed his pain the only way he knew how—through poetry. The resulting poem, Dear Father, became his vehicle of forgiveness and healing. It is a pivotal poem that has touched and inspired the lives of millions.

Fused with his signature raw lyricism and street consciousness, J. Ivy’s memoir shows what it takes to deal with your emotions before your emotions deal with you. His story is personal yet universal, and will inspire others to channel whatever pain they have experienced into their own powerful gift of expression.

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Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain

Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain

by J. Ivy
Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain

Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain

by J. Ivy

Hardcover

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Overview

Hip-hop’s favorite poet and Grammy Award–winning artist J. Ivy bares his soul in this inspirational memoir of pain transformed into healing and empowerment.

J. Ivy is a true pioneer and trendsetter who’s bridged the worlds of hip-hop and poetry through his appearances on HBO’s Def Poetry and his collaborations with Kanye West and Jay-Z. But throughout his success, he carried with him the pain of being abandoned by his father and growing up in the tough neighborhoods of Chicago’s South Side.

So he sat down with pen and paper and processed his pain the only way he knew how—through poetry. The resulting poem, Dear Father, became his vehicle of forgiveness and healing. It is a pivotal poem that has touched and inspired the lives of millions.

Fused with his signature raw lyricism and street consciousness, J. Ivy’s memoir shows what it takes to deal with your emotions before your emotions deal with you. His story is personal yet universal, and will inspire others to channel whatever pain they have experienced into their own powerful gift of expression.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781582705088
Publisher: Atria Books/Beyond Words
Publication date: 01/27/2015
Pages: 304
Product dimensions: 6.20(w) x 9.00(h) x 4.10(d)

About the Author

J. Ivy is a hip-hop poet, musician, actor, and speaker. He received a Peabody Award for his performance on Russell Simmons’s Def Poetry, as well as a Grammy Award for his contribution with Jay-Z on Kanye West’s The College Dropout album. J. has also collaborated with John Legend, RZA, The Last Poets, The Roots, Common, Mos Def, The Black Crowes, Bob Dylan, and many more. He supports his community through his Write to Live Academy and the Dear Father Initiative, which encourages young people to explore careers in the arts.

Table of Contents

Your Past Can Kill Your Future xiii

Part I Pain

Home Sweet Home, Chicago 3

Searching for Freedom 11

DJ Jim Richards 15

Ma, Goodness 21

My Daddy's Records 27

There's No Such Thing as Superheroes? 31

When the Smoke Clears 33

Fractured Dream 35

Broken Up, Breaking In 43

Little Boy Blues 47

Birthday Wishes 49

Am I My Brother's Keeper? 53

Your Words Have Power 57

I'm a Hip-Hop Baby 63

Part II Purpose

Shocked by Culture 71

There's No Arguing 79

The Rock 89

It Was Love at First Write 93

Off Balance Was My Challenge 101

The Art of Forgiveness 105

Damn, Damn, Damn James 109

Let Me Reintroduce Myself 113

Love Lost and Found, Again 117

Rituals 119

I Just Got My Wings 125

The Texture of Soul 133

True Alarm 143

Love Is Gangsta 147

This Is What It Sounds Like When Love Cries 155

Good-Bye, Dad 159

Forgiveness Is Remembering to Forgive Again 165

Part III Power

Jim Richards' Bag 171

Poetically Inclined 177

Making Moves in Music City 183

My Faithful Road to Def Poetry 185

Showtime on HBO 195

Needle In a Haystack 203

Fear Is a Hell of a Drug 205

Breaking the Cycle of Pain 213

You Can't Imprison Freedom 227

I Get My Hymns from Him 231

It Takes a Village 243

Daddy Loves You 249

Finding Your Voice 255

A Letter to Your Father 267

Acknowledgments 271

Photo Album 277

The Dear Father Letter Writing Campaign 286

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