This is What I Live For: A Conversation with Rapper Amir Issaa
Thur Feb. 8, 2024 11:15am-12:30pm (Schmitt 125)
Afro-Italian rapper, activist and educator Amir Issaa meets students of Italian in the conversation class (ITAL 309) to discuss those sections of his hip-hop memoir, This is What I Live For, that offer a counter-cultural take on his city, Rome, where marginalized communities and resistance music coexist next to celebrated historical monuments and ancient ruins. We are thrilled to have Amir back on campus after his unforgettable visit in October 2022 for a workshop, concert and interviews with students.
Presented on the occasion of the publication of This is What I Live For in a bilingual illustrated version, edited by Clarissa Clò as part of a collective translation project (San Diego State UP, 2023), and the launching of a new album by the same title, available on all main streaming music services.
Conducted in Italian. Introduced by Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair). If you are interested in attending, please write to fiorete@montclair.edu
Organized and sponsored by the Inserra Endowed Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies in collaboration with the Italian Program at Montclair State University, as part of Black History Month.
Resources:
Recap of 2022 visit on campus
Video by Amir Isssa walking through the streets of Rome (in Italian with subtitles in English)
Art project focused on the Roman neighborhood of Tor Pignattara with commentary by Amir Issaa (in Italian)
