Music Journalist & Cultural Critic; Author of "I Would Die 4 U"; Host of Touré Show Podcast; Former CNN Pop Culture Correspondent
Touré Biography
Touré is a writer, music journalist, cultural critic, podcaster, and television personality known for his work on hip-hop, Black identity, and popular culture. He began his writing career as an intern at Rolling Stone and served as the magazine's main hip-hop writer for more than a decade, producing cover stories on artists such as Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, DMX, Lauryn Hill, 50 Cent, and Migos. Touré has contributed essays and articles to publications including The New Yorker, Essence, Time, The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, The New York Times, and Ebony. His writing has also appeared in collections such as "Best American Essays of 1999," "Da Capo Best Music Writing of 2004," and "Best American Erotica of 2004."
Touré has published six books, including "I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became An Icon" and "Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness: A Look At What It Means To Be Black Now." "Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?" explores race in modern America through interviews with more than 100 prominent African-American figures. The book was recognized by The New York Times and The Washington Post and earned a nomination for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Non-Fiction. "I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon" examines Prince's work and legacy in a religious context and is based on lectures Touré delivered at Harvard University. He has also collaborated with KRS-One, Nas, and Rakim on their autobiographies.
Touré appeared on CNN's American Morning and was later hired as CNN's first pop culture correspondent. He hosted the interview series "On The Record" on Fuse and co-hosted The Cycle on MSNBC alongside Ari Melber, Krystal Ball, and Abby Huntsman, where he contributed to political discussions with insights on race theory. Touré serves on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominating Committee and has taught a course on the history of hip-hop at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at the Tisch School of the Arts in New York.
His podcast, the Touré Show, features interviews with Black actors, musicians, politicians, athletes, activists, and allies of the Black community, offering perspectives on entrepreneurship, politics, creativity, and athletics. Touré also hosts the podcast "Why Did They Breakup?," which explores the stories of romantic breakups, guiding listeners through the dynamics of relationships. With a career spanning journalism, television, literature, and digital media, Touré is recognized for his versatility and cultural analysis in the fields of music journalism, race, and popular culture.
Touré Speaking Topics
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How to Become a Pop Star in Modern America
You will understand how people climb the pop culture ladder after this discussion with speaker Toure about the mediums, messages, and branding efforts needed to command the attention of millions and become a pop culture star. This will be examined through the prism of three case studies: Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, and Justin Bieber. Ultimately pop stars are repositories for our dreams they represent who we want to be, either in life or for a night. Fans live vicariously through the star. Toure explores how to build and display a life that people aspire to.
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What We Can Learn About Life from Hip-Hop
Hip-hop is a culture that defines America and is defined by America, and no one has interviewed more of hip-hop's most pivotal figures than Toure. With a unique understanding of hip-hop and its power, importance, and place in our lives, he lays out some key life lessons we can take from hip-hop, including those of self-reliance, self-empowerment, fearlessness, making lemonade out of life's lemons, and the value of crowning yourself a king. Toure is one of the ultimate hip-hop authorities and there is no one who can lead a more insightful discussion on hip-hop today.
Touré Videos
Get In Position - Touré Roberts
Touré tells us that creation itself is waiting for aligned sons of God to be revealed. The Holy Spirit leads us to truth and alignment.
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How do I book Touré to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Touré for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Touré, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Touré or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Touré
Speaking fees for Touré, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Touré are under $10,000 for live events and under $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Touré, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Touré speak about?
Touré is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Anti-Racism, Author, Black Heritage, Black History Month, College, Commencement, Culture, Diversity & Inclusion, Host & Emcee, Inspirational, Journalist, Music, Social Activism -
Where does Touré travel from?
Touré generally travels from Brooklyn, NY, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Touré’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Touré for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Touré for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Touré or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Touré is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as How to Become a Pop Star in Modern America, What We Can Learn About Life from Hip-Hop and How Racism Functions Today and Ways to Deal with it to Get Success. The estimated speaking fee range to book Touré for your event is available upon request. Touré generally travels from Brooklyn, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Wendee Lee Curtis, T.J. Holmes, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, Common and John Legend. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Touré for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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