They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us

Award-winning poet and essayist Abdurraqib (A Little Devil in America) narrates the audio edition of his 2017 essay collection, which includes observations and reflections about the intersection of music, popular culture, and social justice in the contemporary United States. The audiobook expands upon the contents of the print book by including Abdurraqib’s conversational reflections on several of the essays, where he provides further context and information. Many of the essays focus on music, but Abdurraqib’s taste and interests are varied, ranging from Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours to My Chemical Romance and the emo scene of the early 2000s to Louisiana rapper Boosie. Abdurraqib’s encyclopedic knowledge and insightful connections between popular culture and social justice, combined with his gift for language and metaphor, command listeners’ attention. Throughout the book, Abdurraqib’s narration has a fast, often poetic cadence full of emphatic pauses and breaths. Some listeners may appreciate the stream-of-consciousness feel, while others will find it exhaustingly frenetic.