Rap music and hip hop culture have achieved influence and popularity with youth across the globe. Rising from the inner cities of LA and New York, the music has given birth to an entire generation of charismatic street poets. But with the current glorification of the "gansta" image by the music industry, hip hop's once vibrant political edge is now portrayed as materialistic, misogynistic, shallow and violent. Tupac Shakur, murdered in 1996, remains a powerful presence and influence on the hip hop scene. The son of a former Black Panther Party member, he is considered one of the greatest hip hop poets of his generation. With haunting lyrics and the freshest beats he challenged the political system and captured the complex and frustrated realities of African-American youth.

Michael Dyson
Michael Eric Dyson, an ordained Baptist minister, is professor of Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a leading commentator and scholar on contemporary trends in African-American culture. He is the author of many books including, "Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur." "Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has The Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?" His latest book is, "Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and Color of Disaster."