Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010) was an American historian, playwright, philosopher, socialist intellectual, and World War II veteran. He wrote over 20 books, including his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United States in 1980. He was named as one of American rapper Lupe Fiasco's influences.
Background[]
In 2009, Fiasco was featured in the documentary film The People Speak, directed by Zinn. That same year in December, at the auditorium where live readings were given, Fiasco told Vulture of Zinn, "O.G. What he did and what he's pushing with the movie and the books and all that, I think it's something that crosses cultures, crosses beyond white, Black, Chinese, Asian, whatever. You know, it speaks to everybody." He added, "We're doing a song, and I might be on the cover of his next book, called The History of the Young, Black, and Sexy."[1]
Fiasco recommended Zinn's book A People's History for his book club, The Readers. In 2011, Fiasco sampled a recorded speech by Zinn for his song "Introduction" from his mixtape, Friend of the People: I Fight Evil. He named The Bomb an influence for his 2012 album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1, which covers historical events.[2]
Discography[]
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Introduction" | 2011 | Friend of the People: I Fight Evil |
References[]
- ↑ Yuan, Jada and Kuhns, Madeleine (December 11, 2009). "Thanks to Matt Damon, We May Finally Hear a Lupe Fiasco–Howard Zinn Duet". Vulture.
- ↑ Trammell, Matthew (August 27, 2012). "Q&A: Lupe Fiasco on Tupac, Album Leaks and Leaving the Game". Rolling Stone.