Based on the way we were branded

A motif that Angelou integrates seamlessly into her story is that of slavery. Whether it be when Carnera is "raining the blows on Louis" like the striking of a whip, or when the masses are huddle together, listening intently to "their 'Master's Voice'", Angelou recreates the pressure of 200 years of oppression without even mentioning it (Angelou 90). Angelou does this as a subtle way to continually reintroduce the idea of black discrimination in a deeper context, while not-so-subtly giving examples on a surface level:  "another lynching... a white woman slapping her maid for being forgetful" (Angelou 90).

Another creator whose work frequently contains the subject of racism and black oppression is Kanye West. While this may seem surprising, many of West's works regard the treatment of African-American's in historical and modern America. Having been raised in the "era when/Clean water was only served to the fairer skin" , West sounds off about racism in many of his songs, so much so that he is called racist himself by some critics.

While it seems like a facetious comparison, drawing similarities between producing rap songs and writing poetic novels about the injustices against one's race, both artists are simply trying to raise awareness on a social issue that is extremely important to them- using their art as a platform.
Both have received continual backlash for their "controversial" work; West has received criticism from music and non-music critics alike, while Angelou's book has been censored and banned countless times. Society seems almost backwards when the oppressed are silenced while trying to address their silencing.