"If we honor rap as storytelling, then kids who write verses in Jackson, Georgetown, or anywhere else are already writers; they just need people to take that art form seriously."

Jackson native and author Angie Thomas epitomizes giving hip-hop its due as a storytelling medium. Although Thomas was an avid reader, as she grew up, books often missed the mark—entertaining, but not always relatable or familiar—leaving her feeling unseen and longing for connection.

"The (rap) stories just make us uncomfortable, and because they make us uncomfortable, we tend to shy away from it or downplay it, discredit it, or whatever it may be," said Thomas in an All About Adolescent Literacy (AdLit) recording. "But for so many people, hip-hop has been that vehicle for storytelling for decades now. It filled in the gaps where books may have failed them. I know it did for me.

From Teen Rapper to Bestselling Author

Hip-Hop music made Thomas feel seen. It was all the encouragement she needed to launch her own teen rap career. The former Georgetown neighborhood resident says she has retired her lyrics for now, but she never stopped putting words on paper. She took that momentum and put it into long-form writing in 2017, penning her debut novel, The Hate U Give. The book follows Starr Carter, a Black teen who witnesses a police killing of her friend, exploring racism, police violence, code‑switching, and community grief.

What started out as a senior writing project at Jackson's Belhaven University shortly became No.1 on the New York Times bestseller list, won major awards including the William C. Morris Award and a Coretta Scott King Award, and was adapted into a 2018 feature film starring Amandla Stenberg, Issa Rae, Common, and Regina Hall.

A Literary Universe Rooted in Jackson

Following the triumph of her debut, her second novel, On the Come Up, came out in 2019. It throbs with Bri's hunger, fear, and determination as an aspiring teen rapper struggling with poverty after her mother loses her job. Thomas describes it as a semi‑autobiographical "love letter to hip-hop," channeling her own youthful dreams and anxieties. In 2021, she published Concrete Rose, a prequel to The Hate U Give, tracing Starr's father, Maverick, at 17 as he wrestled with fatherhood and gang life. Thomas's emotional depth continued through her middle‑grade fantasy series, starting with Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy in 2023.

Giving Back to the City That Shaped Her

Music once validated her experiences and emotions, and she pays it forward by regularly returning to Jackson Public Schools, where she speaks with students, reads from her work, and encourages reading and writing. In recognition of her impact, her alma mater, Belhaven University, created the Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship in her honor. Additionally, she has spoken at local institutions, including Jackson State University (JSU), about student activism.

"If my legacy is that I inspired the next generation of activists, then I'm happy with that," said Thomas in a Times article. "It's an honor."

Images: Imani Khayyam