A Drop of Midnight, Jason Diakite
A Drop of Midnight, Jason Diakite
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A Drop of Midnight
A Memoir

Author: Jason Diakité, Rachel Willson-Broyles

Narrator: Jason Diakité

Unabridged: 9 hr 51 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/01/2020

Synopsis

World-renowned hip-hop artist Jason “Timbuktu” Diakité’s vivid and intimate journey through his own and his family’s history—from South Carolina slavery to twenty-first-century Sweden.Born to interracial American parents in Sweden, Jason Diakité grew up between worlds—part Swedish, American, black, white, Cherokee, Slovak, and German, riding a delicate cultural and racial divide. It was a no-man’s-land that left him in constant search of self. Even after his hip-hop career took off, Jason fought to unify a complex system of family roots that branched across continents, ethnicities, classes, colors, and eras to find a sense of belonging.In A Drop of Midnight, Jason draws on conversations with his parents, personal experiences, long-lost letters, and pilgrimages to South Carolina and New York to paint a vivid picture of race, discrimination, family, and ambition. His ancestors’ origins as slaves in the antebellum South, his parents’ struggles as an interracial couple, and his own world-expanding connection to hip-hop helped him fashion a strong black identity in Sweden.What unfolds in Jason’s remarkable voyage of discovery is a complex and unflinching look at not only his own history but also that of generations affected by the trauma of the African diaspora, then and now.

About Jason Diakité

Jason “Timbuktu” Diakité is one of Sweden’s most well-known hip-hop artists. Born in Lund to American parents—an African American dad and a white mom—he has released eight solo albums and numerous singles, the majority of which have reached gold or platinum status. His accolades include eight Swedish Grammy awards and four P3 Guld (Swedish radio) awards. He has performed all over the world, from Africa to Svalbard, from the Apollo in New York City to the Roxy in Los Angeles and at the Polar Music Prize and Nobel Peace Prize award ceremonies. Jason is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir A Drop of Midnight, which has sold more than one hundred thousand copies in Sweden and was adapted by the author into a stage performance in 2017. For more information, visit www.timbuk.nu.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Hope on February 04, 2020

Powerful, visceral, engaging. This was one of those ‘universes aligning’ things...when an old white woman stumbles across a book by a young Black Swedish rapper, and even more improbably, is intrigued and decides to read it. And pretty much read it straight through without stopping. This is a strong,......more

Goodreads review by Linda on December 21, 2016

Gillade denna! Trist med så himla mycket korrekturfel i den dock, stör läsningen oerhört mycket. Men den är ändå värd en fyra så det så!......more

Goodreads review by Gabriella on November 17, 2016

Denna kommer helt klart hamna på top 3 bästa böcker lästa/lyssnade på under 2016. Jag känner att det är en viktig bok att läsa om man vill jobba mot rasism, förstå hur rasism drabbar och hur den strukturella rasismen ser ut. Detta var en bok jag behövde för att återfå lite energi att orka fortsätta......more

Goodreads review by Kela on March 18, 2020

Liberating!!! I loved this memoir!!! I usually don't read memoirs, but this piqued my interest. The loved how the author was able to trace his family lineage through travels, interviews and conversation with family. Through his life experiences, he has learned to embrace his ethnic backgrounds and sk......more

Goodreads review by Melina on April 25, 2021

Det tog mig lite tid men har äntligen lyssnat klart. Jason är en fantastisk berättare och hans uppläsning var underbar Enormt fängslande biografi om mellanförskap, hälftenskap, dubbelskap. Om rasism, fördomar, USA, Sverige, Nigeria. Om rapmusik, familjer och kärlek. Är väldigt glad över att ha lyssna......more

Quotes

“His writing has an ethereal, questioning quality, in sync with his background…the author’s prose is often nimble and observant, sharply considering the burdens surrounding race and masculinity. A vibrant, thoughtful memoir reflecting contemporary black cultural concerns.” —Kirkus Reviews“This touching exploration of race and heritage is incisive, heartbreaking, and heartwarming.” —Library Journal“Diakité smooths out the conflicting complications of his heritage and upbringing to create a positive form of complexity.” —Booklist

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