In the novel The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, the main character Starr Carter realizes the importance of standing up for justice after she witnesses the death of her black friend who was shot by a white police officer. In the novel, Music plays an important role in Starr’s life. I curated this playlist that represents the different themes, messages, and attitudes expressed in the novel. In this playlist, I included songs from Tupac because the author of the novel, Angie Thomas, drew inspiration from his music. Starr’s father, Maverick uses his lyrics to teach Starr about racial poverty and violence—a major theme in the novel. I also included the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song because there are references to the show throughout the novel. Lastly, I included some of the songs from the movie soundtrack, and other songs that expressed the overall attitude of the book.
Starr Carter’s Playlist
- “Keep Ya Head Up” by 2Pac
- “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift
- “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince
- “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyoncé
- “Always” by Amandla Stenberg
- “Me Against the World” by 2Pac
- “Waiting on the World to Change” by John Mayer
- “Never say Never” by Justin Bieber
- “Rise Up” by Andra Day
- “We Won’t Move” by Arlissa
- “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten
- “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson
Great American Novels 2020 
I also read The Hate U Give as my choice reading book and I agree with your picks. I liked that the only artist to be listed more than once is Tupac as he is not only brought up frequently throughout the novel but he is also the one who gives the novel its name. I also like Fight Song as it really connects to how Starr became more vocal about what she was fighting for at the end of the novel.
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I did not read this book but I listened to the songs you chose and thought it was really cool and unique how you were able to connect these songs to the themes in the novel. I think it is cool that a novel and a song are both works of art and they are different but can also be similar.
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