Essay Questions

What is Brianna's most significant obstacle to fight for her to get a breakthrough in her rapping career?

Being stereotyped as a hoodlum is the biggest challenge that Brianna has to overcome for her to succeed. Her father was a famous rapper before he met his untimely death. Brianna wants to be like her father and even perform better than him. However, society thinks that Brianna is a criminal because she comes from a negatively pigeonholed family. For instance, one of Brianna's favorite aunts is a drug dealer while her mother was an addict. Society assumes that Brianna is no different from her mother and aunt, implying that she cannot succeed. Consequently, Brianna has to face this stereotype head-on without fear and prove that she has talent.

How does Brianna get over her fears and emerge as the best rapper?

Brianna's zeal and determination bear fruits when her late father's manager tells her that her stubborn and angry persona can fetch her a lot of wealth if she puts them to proper use. According to the manager, Brianna's rap to portray drug dealership and gangbanging can make her the country's richest rapper. Brianna's first rap song goes viral on media depicting her as societal jeopardy. Brianna's rap songs continue to be controversial, and many people start to listen to what she is saying, which makes her very famous and wealthy. Despite her rap songs being controversial, Brianna's central message is to condemn stereotyping.

How does subjugation in music emerge as the central theme in 'On the Come Up' by Angie Thomas?

The main message in Brianna's music is to condemn stereotyping of street life, drug addiction, and poverty. Still, the media accuses her of spreading and advocating for drug use and bad culture in society. However, the truth is that Brianna is misunderstood because she aims to fight for the rights of the blacks who live in the streets and those living in abject poverty. Whatever Brianna is doing is to get her family out of poverty and improve the lives of others.