“While Crystelle is unable to forget Jimmie, she is also called upon to remember her childhood in West Philly and realize the impact that it has had on her person. In a similar manner, the readers are asked to remember the lives and traditions of early African Americans as they struggled for survival in the United States. For both Crystelle and the Black race, these acts of remembrance are key to maintaining balance in an unsteady world that can strip you of your love, your life and your freedom.

“Remembrance is also necessary to help maintain the rhythm of life. Ulen is most creative in illustrating that life is about its rhythm. There is a rhythm in the way Black people live and love, a rhythm in Black men’s swagger; there is even a rhythm in the way young Crystelle’s beads move when she wears braids. Crystelle’s grandfather tells her boyfriend, “Ain’t nothing’ new, man. The old sounds just layer the new.” This wisdom points to the evolution of hip hop music from jazz and blues rhythms. Moreover, it points to the steady beat of history’s march into the present. Crystelle’s childhood experiences are highly influential in the way she lives her life as a grown woman.

“Similarly, the manner in which African Americans live their present lives is due in large part to the experiences, good and bad, that they had during the past of enslavement. While Ulen calls for audiences to remember the past and recognize the rhythms of life, she is also calling for forward movement. Crystelle should not forget Jimmie, but she — along with the Black race — will only be able to stop mourning and move toward the future if she is able to release the past.”

~ Hip Hop Literature