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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

Thug Passion explained

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Dec 15 2008, 11:02 AM ET Comment

This deserves its own post.

What goes in a Thug Passion and will drinking one give me street cred?
Tom C replies:

A Thug Passion sounds like some not recommended combination of Cognac and grapefruit juice.
Meh, grapefruit juice--too many vitamins. Black people don't "do" antioxidants.

Seriously though, Thug Passion is the epitome of drank--Alize mixed with Congac--made famous by Tupac Shakur. I loved it in college on a Friday--must of lost half my freelance checks to the stuff. Those were the days when I was still amazed that they actually paid people to write. Later I graduated to Jack and Coke. Now I'm straight Macallan. Soon there will be cigars. Then  I'll write an article about how I'm not really black anymore.

UPDATE:
Commenter Bruce questions my knowledge of Thug Passion. In all seriousness, I googled around. Apparently there is some debate about this. Fascinating. Apparently there are two versions. One features Alize and Henny, the other Alize and champagne. Hmm, somehow I think both will leave you feeling the same way in the morning.


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