Maya Angelou's Life in Music

Remembering the late poet's contributions.

Album of the Year: Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d. city - Kendrick Lamar rocked critics and listeners alike with the release of his debut album good kid, m.A.A.d. city, which went platinum and is considered a classic in many circles. (Photo: Interscope Records)
Still I Rise - In 1993, Maya appeared in the film Poetic Justice with Tupac Shakur and had a heart-to-heart with the MC, which brought him to tears after she checked him on some improper language and behavior. Her impact was definitely felt as his posthumous group album with The Outlawz was entitled Still I Rise, taking a page from Maya's famous poem of the same name.(Photos from Left: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, Edward A. Hausner/New York Times/Getty Images)
The Dreamer and the Believer  - In 2011, Maya Angelou blessed Common as she dropped a few poetic bars on his cut “The Dreamer,” from the Chi-town MC’s ninth album The Dreamer/The Believer. Maya gave an inspiring performance chronicling the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, emphasizing how Black folks as a people keep rising despite adversity and are never afraid to dream and turn those dreams into a better existence.Common even brought her out for a few performances and he and Dr. Angelou had a discussion on his prominent use of the N-word, which many Black people have issues with.(Photo: Steve Exum/Getty Images)

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Still I Rise - In 1993, Maya appeared in the film Poetic Justice with Tupac Shakur and had a heart-to-heart with the MC, which brought him to tears after she checked him on some improper language and behavior. Her impact was definitely felt as his posthumous group album with The Outlawz was entitled Still I Rise, taking a page from Maya's famous poem of the same name.(Photos from Left: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, Edward A. Hausner/New York Times/Getty Images)

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