George The Poet is a voice of our time and I hope everybody gets to know him and his intellect better through this book. It's a particularly good audiobook. Have already bought the hard copy

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this Non fiction biography audiobook

This book to me I found a heavy read and had to take it a few chapters a day (where normally I can finish an audiobook in a day) but I found this a very informative read that gave Mr an insight into things to see things differently from what I thought I knew on some stuff. Not only was this about George's experiences in the music industry but also how it was for him to grow up in the UK (United Kingdom), but was also mixed with some history and some issues with certain things and the hidden meaning to other stuff (I feel like this book for me in some ways pulled back a veil to peek I'm to what I know I will never fully understand but can be educated to know better).

Track Record: Me, Music and the War on Blackness, George 'The Poet' Mpanga's hugely ambitious memoir-cum-manifesto, is a difficult book to review. Its scope is so broad that the reader to whom all of the content would appeal seems impossibly specific. Personally, I was fascinated by Mpanga's deep dive into the legacy of neo-liberalism and racial capitalism, but bored by long sections detailing the evolution of the 00s UK hip hop scene; for other readers, it may well be the other way round.

While other commentators have honed in on the experience of being Black and British, Mpanga's book has a far more global perspective, drawing on research spanning the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia to make his points more convincing. This could be a response to those who would hold up examples of successful Black individuals in 'the West' as evidence that racism's impact has lessened; as Mpanga makes clear, 'on a global scale, the inequity is undeniable'. If only those detractors were likely to read this book! Much of the book is a deeply damning exposé on the impact of colonialism, which still reverberates through countries who fought to snatch their independence back from western powers. It is easier to look at less economically developed nations, shrug and suppose that darker populations are less capable, less disciplined, less motivated than their white counterparts, but Mpanga makes a powerful case for these iniquities being the result of a deeply rooted western desire to control land, labour and commodities, and perpetuated by western academics whose world view is 'rooted in a version of history in which the good guys won.' He goes on to speak of the harmful impact on young Black people growing up in the west of an education assessed by western institutions, on western ideas, using western language.

'Western dominance is upheld by crimes, rooted in the past, meaning the world order would be called into question if the west was held truly accountable, which is why there is a permanent war on blackness.'

Mpanga evidences the war on blackness with examples of Black leaders believed to have been assassinated because of the machinations of western surveillance agencies - from Martin Luther King Jr and Patrice Lamumba to Tupac Shakur. He speaks with authority and conviction, but some of his claims could be more convincingly evidenced when much of what he's saying - about Libya and the Cold War, for example - is counter to the prevailing narrative. Mpanga is dismissive of people who refer to rumours of CIA involvement in Tupac's murder as a conspiracy, and yet he provides no solid evidence to prove that this is what happened. This may be an issue with the audiobook - no references are apparent to cite the information and theories he shares - but maybe these are available in the print format.

With regard to his own role in the war on blackness, Mpanga is self-aware and reflective, able to look back on how his political views have evolved since his time in the UK state education system - and later at the University of Cambridge. He rightly holds these systems and institutions to account for whitewashing events in order to preserve the myth of Britain as a benevolent power in world history, but owns his own ignorance and willingness to accept this white-centric version of events. He admits to being conflicted - he profits from the same mainstream media that 'maintains silence on real, human-made distasters... This media happily platforms me as a non-threatening Black man, but also monetises the trauma of my people in ways that uphold white supremacy, while muffling the voices and warping the images of disobedient Black, brown and even white people.' Mpanga spends some time musing on the Black radical ideas of academics such as Kehinde Andrews, and extolls the value of dismantling a system which serves to oppress Black people, rather than working to help them gain fair access to that system. However, he ultimately runs out of steam with this train of thought, and I was left unsure as to what he believed the most effective alternative to Black liberalism to be.

An interesting section looks at the inextricably linked histories of rap music and neo-liberal society, the former mirroring the latter through its celebration of wealth, the acquisition of goods and personal success built on humble beginnings overcome through ruthless individualism. Mpanga's disdain for 'toxic lyrics [which] leave a toxic residue' is apparent; he firmly believes that rappers like Jay-Z and 50 Cent were willing colluders in the commodification of hip hop, sacrificing creativity and a social conscience for profit and mainstream appeal, and shirking any responsibility for the young people tearing each other apart within the same street culture that they promoted.

'In fact, I'd say that hip hop's overwhelming anger at social injustice died in 1996 with the murder of Tupac; after him, the genre's biggest stars were no longer outsiders or threats to the mainstream - they were insiders, embedded in the neo-liberal status quo, half-heartedly critiquing society while rejecting collective responsibility.'

However, for every thought-provoking, concisely-worded section, there is a tedious, meandering interlude. I appreciate what Mpanga was trying to do - weave his insights around his life story to illustrate his points and show how he came to his conclusions through his experiences, but for me it doesn't really work. Track Record reads like two very different books - a polemic and a memoir - which don't mesh particularly cohesively; I found myself frustrated when Mpanga broke focus to talk about his time in the music industry or, bizarrely, how he found his creative voice through a cartoon Ugandan schoolgirl.

Mpanga narrates the audiobook and this truly elevates the material. When he reads lines like, 'We spend more time fighting for a bigger share of our colonisers' looted wealth than we do ending the West's continued exploitation of our ancestral homes,' you can hear the passion that fuels his writing, while the self-deprecating chuckle in his voice when he recounts an ill-advised Twitter spat over the concept of wokeness adds a clarity of tone that may not be so apparent on the page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review an ARC of this book.

Track Record: Me, Music, and the War on Blackness: THE REVOLUTIONARY MEMOIR FROM THE UK'S MOST CREATIVE VOICE is an education in every sense of the word.

George Mpanga, better known as George the Poet, has written something more than a memoir. Yes, this details his life, his successes and struggles, but more than that, he offers a keen-eyed commentary on contemporary society.

The primary lesson of the book is in the power of critical self-reflection. George is brutally honest about his rise to fame and the problematic nature of being held up as an exemplar of black success, used to justify notions of a racism free Britain where everyone can succeed if they just work hard enough. George was lucky, benefiting from his mum's choice to move him to a different, more academic school, but he's clear that this is precisely the kind of opportunity not available to many young black boys, who are trapped in a system which works to keep them down. In the book, he invites us to see how such power structures priviledge and uphold certain values and certain people, leaving others adrift. Famously, putting his money where his mouth is, George refused an MBE in 2019, due to Britain's refusal to acknowledge or mitigate the negative effects of its colonial past. Here, he details the ways in which that legacy still has its hooks in our society - and that nothing will change unless we work together to change it.

While I have no doubt that readers encountering his words on the page will have a powerful experience, the audiobook read by the author elevates this to a whole new level. His chosen medium, spoken word poetry, gives his voice a presence and a gravity that speaks to the soul as well as the mind. I listened and I learnt. I hope others find this audiobook and do the same.

Audiobook via Netgalley

I've always been an admirer of George the Poet's work. Here he puts it in the broader context of black British art. It's reflective of how his own riae to fame has helped and hindered. It's autobiography but also a heavy critique of white capitalist structures. A great piece of riveting social theory and personal story.

This is an incredible piece of work. I did not have prior knowledge about George the Poet and this was fascinating as well as truly enlightening. I learned so much and urge everyone to read this book this year, if you read anything!

This was a thought-provoking and hugely informative book where George Mpanga - better known as George the Poet - explains his part in the 'war on blackness' and reflects on how his rise to fame now strikes him as problematic. It's clear he's a deep thinker, introspective beyond the capabilities of most and now rails against his prior description as a 'good immigrant'. In fact, he spends much of the book railing against the hand he has been dealt and how it lead to a level of conformity which he is now decidedly uneasy with. His sense of guilt is also met with a realisation that his success was, in part, due to embracing elements of the capitalist system that he believes helps perpetuate the 'war on blackness'.

In part autobiography, in part scathing polemic on those he feels help maintain the deeply unfair capitalist system. He criticises this rap stars who he feel have abandoned improving the lives of others; instead focusing on wealth creation, luxury accumulation and placing adoration over humility. He discusses his love on music, whether it be born in the estates that he grew up in or from the Ugandan land of his forefathers. Throughout he is honest and self-critical, championing the things he's deeply proud of (sociology, his teachers, his parents) whilst reflecting on the negative aspects of some parts of his career. He is a superb narrator and the lyricism of his poetry comes across in the delivery of this audiobook.

I first discovered George the Poet during lockdown when I found Have you heard George's Podcast on BBC Sounds. I loved it!

When I saw George's memoir, Track Record, on @netgalley I instantly requested and again, I have loved listening to George.

Track Record takes us on a journey, the journey of George's life and his own journey into music. However, we're also taken on a journey through history to look at how society has shaped the experiences of the Black Diaspora, particularly in relation to music and capitalism.

It's very hard for me to review a book like this with the eloquence it deserves. How can anyone give George The Poet justice with words when he uses them so powerfully himself? However, what I can say is that this book is engaging, educational, moving, relevant and so important. It should feature on so many TBR's and I really really hope to see this feature across booksta.

I remember seeing George the Poet live years ago and his performance really struck a chord and stayed with me so I loved listening to this as I found out more about his history and the history behind his childhood and influences.

This book is a mix between autobiography and social theory. I particularly liked that this was an audiobook and could listen to George The Poet express his views himself.

I learnt a lot from listening and feel inspired to learn more.