Born to Use Mics Reading Nas's Illmatic

From the moment then nineteen-year-old Nasir "Nas" Jones began recording tracks for his debut album the hip-hop world was forever changed. Released in 1994,Illmatic, was hailed as a masterpiece and is one of the most influentialalbums in hip-hop history. InBorn to Use Mics, Michael Eric Dyson and Sohail Daulatzai have brought together the brightest minds to reflect upon and engage one of the most incisive sets of songs ever laid down on wax. Contributors include: Adilifu Nama * Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr. * James Peterson * Marc Lamont Hill * Michael Eric Dyson * Mark Anthony Neal * Kyra Gaunt * Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. * Imani Perry * and more

Michael Eric Dyson, named by Ebony as one of the hundred most influential black Americans, is the author of sixteen books, including Holler if You Hear Me, Is Bill Cosby Right? and I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King Jr. He is currently University Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University. He lives in Washington, D.C.