Legendary Nikki Giovanni Speaks on her "Thug Life" Tattoo + New Book "Chasing Utopia"

[@travissimpkins8572]

Crazy this just came up when I was looking at James Baldwin and Nikki on “The Conversation”. Never heard of her. 5 years after sway posted.

[@Strawberryfearsforever]

How could you have never heard of Nikki Giovanni? I mean shes one of those people I just always heard of. I can understand not knowing her works specifically, but never hear of her. That's shocking. I'm glad you know now though.

[@dazionprosser5634]

yea sameeeee wow

[@luarness5054]

Rite.me too

[@d.edwardsfreelanceeditorvi4212]

MsFears many of us just wasn’t exposed to her or Baldwin. It’s just facts unfortunately. I wasn’t raised in or around a household that taught or spoke of black poets, writers etc. My school system never exposed me to people like her. Now I’ve heard of her in younger days but I was never exposed to her. It is possible depending on a persons upbringing.

[@omarwaller268]

Not crazy, Google's recommendation algorithms are deadly accurate

[@JUBABU4]

I remember an interview when she was 28 in an interview with James Baldwin.. Its a must see..

[@Deetruckin]

Observant One some of the best media I have ever seem in my life.

[@sebastianbolt7886]

Superb interview

[@mahlonthomas1775]

It is awesome

[@robertjean7705]

I watch it religiously!!! It is a classic interview!

[@mahlonthomas1775]

@@robertjean7705 the truth

[@popsqualli1]

How can anyone not love Niki Giovanni? I know that I surely do.

[@goddbod.junyawinston3012]

she truly was GODD'S gift to black people.....

[@mamatoto5387]

Her historical knowledge is astounding!!

[@lincolnhare7766]

Yes it is. !!!!!!

[@Clacci38]

Legend...one of the best writers of all time, Ego Tripping is the first poem I knew by heart. The realist.

[@sharneep]

I grew up with queen Giovanni thank you sway this was awesome

[@continuouslyinspired]

Big ups to Sway, real life almost shed a tear hearing Kanye give our elder Ms. Nikki Giovanni her flowers while there still blooming and vibrant. to be honest being born in 1995- i never really heard of Nikki Giovanni before, until Kanye mentioned her name on “Hey Mama” - and even then, I didn’t indulge much into her writing until I came across a conversation between her & brother James Baldwin a few days ago. beautiful dialogue, anyhow our history is so enriching. thank you sway for bringing the queen on

[@e.johnson2045]

I adore her. Saw her in college. Have a signed book of her poetry which I hold near and dear. Will definitely add this to collection :-)

[@mamba00]

Sad that many of our ppl have no clue of who this legend is! She is still beautiful as ever❤❤

[@KNKReacts]

One of the best interviews i've seen sway

[@dahotone106]

Man she is dropping some knowledge

[@Star-Mac10]

This interview will be a classic. What a legend this woman is.

[@DaiyaanWinston]

"I am a thug" -Nikki Giovanni

[@CiscoIsata]

Daiyaan Winston I’m not sure if she knew how factual that statement was. knowing her she probably did.

[@jaisharp1165]

Nikki is truly a national treasure

[@smackmag]

God bless this woman.

[@MrInvincibledp]

God bless this black queen! Its amazing all this time and 2pac is still missed man if pac would have lived and biggie too. Hip-hop isn't what it should have been.

[@MzMJ77]

Haters. Let an elder speak her mind. She wasn't hating on Bey. Giving her opinion isn't hating, some of the comments are examples of why 'fans' is shorthand for FANATICS. Everyone doesn't have to worship Beyoncé. She gave her props for being talented. Nikki Giovanni is from a different era & likes things from that era, that was all she was saying.

[@drummajor]

The problem with some elders is that they're stuck in the music of their youth. Sway was right. Give the new music a try without any biases. The new music is from the old music. Tupac in Thugz Mansion he mentions Billie Holliday, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, and Miles Davia. And I betcha none of them would even listen to his music.

[@MzMJ77]

An inspiration. I am happy to see Sway do this interview.

[@Livenletbevlog]

More people need to watch this interview! Amazing

[@p3life656]

pac smiles in heaven ! to see this smart wonderful woman with a thug life tattooe ! you see how big pac iz ! thug life ! ya cant stop the movment!

[@mamba00]

Luv her Nikki Giovanni❤❤❤❤💯💯💯💯💯epic!!

[@robertchristian821]

Man I loved her video interview with James Baldwin

[@lesliebrown8313]

An Icon!!! ....Thanks for your sharing of your beautiful mind........One Love

[@ziofonz5200]

she is too cute...love her!

[@Abdusshakur215]

This interview is AWESOME.. I can feel her positive ENERGY ..Thanks

[@enchantresse23]

I need to meet this queen ✨👑

[@robertjean7705]

This is a great interview!!!! I really enjoy Nikki and her stories!💕 Excellent job!!! PURE GOLD!!!💕✌🙌💜

[@mogetit5999]

Awesome interview!!!

[@abdul-rahmanmuhammad6076]

Nikki Giovanni is a "National Treasure" I loved HER back N the day and LOVE HER even more 2 DAY. One of the SHARPNESS minds N the Modern Day, Nikki Giovanni is my GREAT Motivator still. Love U Nikki and I've seen a few of her interviews thru the year's but 1 of my favorites is the James Baldwin interview there was a side of her that so Defines the WOMEN she is 2 DAY, she was NOT 1 who BITE her TONGUE she spoke & wrote with Confidence and Definition. 😍😍😍 I love ME SOME Nikki Giovanni she's an ICON. Peace Out Abdul rahman .

[@abdul-rahmanmuhammad6076]

Correction: on a bit of my grammatic 4 mation, if I were being checked by Nikki or my other sister Rasheedah I'd probably get maybe a B- having said that Nikki also did another 1 of my favorite interviews with the Champ Muhammad Ali. And 4 the sake of redundancy I LOVE me some Nikki Giovanni..!!! 😎😎😎 Peace Out Abdul rahman

[@ZAPPABABURUUU]

This needs more views.

[@MultiPolosport]

Love Her!!!Factz about Tupac

[@donnacomrie7572]

Wonderful Interview!!

[@nakuro2686]

My mother and paternal Aunt introduced me to Nikki as I recall..made me see the world different

[@jbrownx1]

Great interview! I will be doing some more research on this woman.

[@stopiwantoff7965]

Please do Joe. You will be awarded. I guarantee it.

[@mamatoto5387]

Tupac was assassinated -nikki giovanni

[@MissTia0427]

Thank you for this. #inspired

[@azizasingh]

Pure excellence!

[@TheMuseDefined]

Nikki Giovanni. My Ace.

[@lowbo47omzascotave94]

*Eastside Low Bottoms shit !* "If ur bored, ur not paying attention." I'm watching kz yesterday i discovered she and James Baldwin going back and forth from the early '70's, for 2 hours. And i watched every second of it ! Very informative... #RespectYaElders

[@lovelife292]

great interview

[@ItsAnEndlessWorld]

Queen Nikki Giovanni, you'll always be appreciated. I absolutely love the thug life tattoo and what it embodies is powerful. For people who can see Pac's pure soul surrounded by the chaos experience life from a different view point than others and those are the people I respect.

[@dondapper770]

GENIUS.

[@BEE56214]

She is too cool 💜

[@kimberlyrichardson5718]

💎💎💎💎Nikki Giovanni ❤️Sway

[@sassyintrovert]

Overall, the interview had some key,points. I agree with her perception abt barack's status in the white house. totally appreciated the quick lesson on winnie mandela. she spoke on legends and those who cared abt the ppl with the exception of bey. Altho she is an influential singer, her focus is SELF.

[@mamatoto5387]

She looks amazing! Who tf can just call up Essence??!! Power.. Plugged up

[@hendowilliams4081]

when she touched on the history of the black america he reminded me off paul mooney say "every want to be a nigga but nobody want to be a nigga" it a funny thing when a comedian and a outstanding writer are on the same page with the world we live in

[@yungchubbz4203]

I actually had to catch and stop myself from clapping after those accolades.

[@BigCityJoeGreen2]

Saw, heard rather, Nikki in the book store on L street way back. Ain't heard from her in awhile... Cool!~

[@TheBlkac1]

Someone need to make a movie about how our poets came to be👍🏿😃✌🏿🔥👏🏿

[@malikali369]

I love U forever Ms. Giovanni!! Forever!! Yup!!

[@shumonbrown5229]

One Love Queen Nikki Giovanni

[@inuhuotono1910]

SHES MY HERO!

[@CEELOW3000]

That 'Thug Life' tat got me - WOW - #rRESPECT!!!!

[@henrylmr2640]

One of the greatest

[@TrenchCoatTony]

Word bless her, I'll in that same seat sway

[@sebastianbolt7886]

Nikki was in London?!?! 😥 I missed her... I love her.

[@daneillefoster-russell1656]

I love Nikki.

[@inuhuotono1910]

ICON

[@rocmurphy1321]

Literally found this video same way. 😅

[@PropheSAY]

Sway recommended "Beyonce" to Nikki Giovanni... yeeesh.

[@zxb5998]

Dude quit hating Lemonade is epic

[@fhtheking3661]

❤️🌹🙏🏾💪🏾🕊

[@mongoslade4016]

She keeps talking about women that does and did real things. Not dummy's that hate they own men !

[@mamatoto5387]

Dinah Washington integrated las Vegas.. - nikki Giovanni

[@teachatami45]

Best beer is red stripe from Jamaica.

[@michealwillis]

How much more proof do you need that 2Pac was the man, when a older living legend like Nikki Giovanni praises him? God bless her!

[@shalondacoleman4652]

After Tupac was killed they pacified us this his sing and video of him shot in all white, head to toe, harp playing, ...I ain't mad at cha, that's when we said he was alive. It was a prophetic in nature❤

[@MYSTERIOUSasLOVE]

Tupac

[@douglasschlesser320]

1:43 ... sips tea.

[@SUPERMAN7285]

She was right when she said the death of TUPAC should be categorized as an assassination because the message his music sent was to fight and stand strong for what you believe in no matter what, Y'all on here praising MLK and MALCOLM X when it's well known that one cheated on his wife and the other was a gangster in his own right hence him being imprisoned and a lot of things TUPAC said back then are still being utilized in today's lessons...."JUDGE YE NOT LEST YE BE JUDGED"

[@backtalk9343]

Terrance Bankhead X's imprisonment discredits him how...bullshit. Pac was jailed too for an alleged rape...both guys impacted the ppl.

[@kingS-sl9wj]

Back Talk I dunno wat he meant by MLK cheating, but with X he just meant don't discredit PAC, since X was a thug too. All three were legends for us to learn off.

[@shannontimothy]

We ❤️ you Nikki!

[@Frederique41]

💜💗💖

[@CEELOW3000]

''Where did you get it from Germany?'' You not playing attention Sway!!!... (BOSTON lager)!!!!! LOL

[@hawashiamarunaga9917]

Nikki thinks we came here and changed. When in fact we never left home and we are very much like our Ancestors. Most of us just don't know that part of ourselves to realize it. But if you suppose you are an African or some other Immigrant, then through that lense you have changed a great deal.

[@notforplay9284]

Nikki Giovanni just to name a few...

[@teachatami45]

If I have all these black heroines and heroes fucking hell I must be the richest woman alive .

[@fhtheking3661]

PAC=🐐

[@Bdoe19]

Common denominator when she speaks about black men. NO EXCUSES.

[@mashego4245]

Nikki with James Baldwin on soul talking some deep conversation. Nelson Mandela did not start the ANC.

[@teachatami45]

Assassination of Tupac. Hmmmm

[@flossnntossn3]

Wow the things she was saying about gun control is ridiculous she should know better then that. You dont take peoples rights away because some are abusing it. period

[@vision176]

Dang she kinda dissed Queen Latifa on the low

[@oaklandrevolt]

I feel Nikki Giovanni is a little bit unclear to the reason why Tupac was killed. I may be mistaken, however she almost came across as if his life was taken due to his political, and social messages. She also comes off as it was a Government hit or racial hit. Again I'm only speculating by her tone and words. She did not go in detail of her opinion. And Granted the details have come slow and been murky since his untimely demise. However Tupac Shakur was a gangster in the final year , months, and days of his life. He repped M.O.B. (A blood piru gang). He assaulted a CCSS crypt in Vegas. And that same CCSS gang banger came back and killed Pac. I do agree his loss is the most profound loss in the black community since MLK. However Pac was gang banging in the end, and it came back to kill him. Pac had a duality personality. A great artist, visionary, revolutionary, and leader for the people. But he was young, and got caught up in the game of gang banging. And lost his life to the hands of Orlando Anderson. RIP Pac, we miss you and love you.

[@EnlightenedUniverse1]

He wasn't gang banging anywhere in his career, just towards the end of his career he was affiliated wit death row etc and anyone associated wit them are labelled 'gangsters' etc. He weren't a gang banger at th end, he never killed anybody just all the people he was constantly around influenced his already explosive personality which cause him to have more fights etc. "Its hard to be an angel when surrounded by devils" - 2PAC. Again, DeathRow was a mob piru label but Pac was NOT on any gang shit, he says in a few interviews. For example, Pac was at club 662 n got confronted by bloods n he was being asked who hes down wit n he said the only color he reps is Green cause its th color of money, It was told by Frank Alexander (his bodyguard) who was a witness. Orlando Anderson is one of manyyyy potential causes of Pacs death but in my opinion Orlando did not th' power to get away with killing one of the biggest stars on th' planet and not to mention how could he make a clean get away when Las Vegas in th middle of the desert etc etc etc. Research bout it, the police could have more than likely solved it if needed, an officer named Greg Kading tried to independently investigate it but the LAPD/LSPD wouldn't allow him n he got kicked off the case n whole loada shit.

[@zxb5998]

You're way off base

[@raydavis1539]

Lmao..I question if this is really a black persons post. The infamous “tear you down, then say something nice about you” is a classic..next to the “bait and cry for help”.

[@angeliqueesprit9155]

@@raydavis1539 Enough said.👌

[@jonathanlewis3067]

He was not gang banging kill that

[@sassyintrovert]

She lost me with that dumb comment abt bey! The ppl can relate to queen latifah. Yet they cant relate to bey cuz she's talented, rich, and beautiful (GTFOH)!

[@michboa437]

I think she means that Beyonce embodies the ideal phenotype , in addition to being talented. As an example, if a record exec was to have a choice to promote somone who looks like Beyonce as opposed to Latifah, the obvious choice would be Beyonce as she fits a certain mould that is widely promoted in the music/entertainment industry. In that sense, Latifah is more relatable because she doesn't fit the typical mould.

[@theCh0sen0ne100]

beyonce is where she is like obama is where he is because white america has a "skin color" problem which emanates from the fact they hate themselves. they put a dark sister upfront when they pushing an agenda like with lupita and 12 years slave in school curriculums. otherwise, the lighter and closer to white like lolo jones the better. Screw white america's standards

[@whosbaddlillyc09]

what she meant plain and simple is that queen latifah can be easily emulated and easier to look up too and to be like, then beyonce the queen is fairly authentic (Queen Latifah that is)...