Let Me Hear a Rhyme

Jasmine is Steph’s 15-year-old sister and one of the novel’s first-person narrators. She is smart, political, feminist, loyal, and she stands out from her peers, who don’t often invite her to parties. She’s creative and talented, and often sang with Steph. Jasmine’s character arc demonstrates The Complexity of Grief. After Steph dies, she begins selling and marketing Steph’s music with his friends, becoming closer to them and developing feelings for Quadir. Jasmine struggles to listen to Steph’s voice knowing he’s gone, and keeping the knowledge from Pearce about his death compounds this struggle. Once they tell Pearce and Steph’s growing fan base the truth about his murder, their endeavors with Steph’s music become a healing part of her grieving process. She feels like Steph would be happy to spread messages and his music, keeping his dream alive even though his life was lost, and simultaneously bringing her closure.

Jasmine also demonstrates The Limits of Legal and Extralegal Justice as she takes her own initiative to solve Steph’s murder. Her mother’s claims that the police are investigating his death do little to deter her, and the police’s later assault of Jarrell, Quadir, and Dante proves to her that nothing is being done about her brother’s murder. However, the brand of extralegal justice in which Jasmine involves herself also causes problems. She begins to join the Guerillas because of their commitment to Black empowerment, but they want her to fight another as part of the initiation, which she recognizes as contrary to the goal of empowerment. When she backs away from joining, they threaten and attempt to intimidate her. Ultimately, Jasmine exhibits The Power of Music as she continues her brother’s legacy by promoting his music and beginning her own musical career as well.

Quadir is one of Steph’s best friends and is also 16. He’s one of the novel’s narrators. Quadir is loyal, smart, athletic, and considerate. He’s always trying to keep the peace. Because he’s so concerned with other peoples’ needs, his mother notes that Quadir tends to tell “white lies,” or to conceal the truth from loved ones in an attempt to protect them. One major lesson Quadir learns is that honesty is more effective than telling lies. For example, once they tell Pearce the truth about Steph’s murder, the results are purely positive, and Steph is signed to a record label with his mother’s consent. Likewise, once Quadir comes clean with Jasmine about his past with selling drugs, the admission is ultimately healing because the information moves her closer to the truth about her brother’s murder.

Quadir also faces the decision of whether to leave his community and attend a prep school and, one day, college, or to stay in his community. He learns through his promotion and advocacy for Steph’s music and the truth that he doesn’t have to move elsewhere to make a difference. Quadir becomes his most successful when he determines to embrace his community by sharing Steph’s music, instead of worrying about his prep school and college attendance away from Bed-Stuy.

Jarrell is Steph’s 16-year-old best friend, and another first-person narrator of the novel. Jarrell is smart, impulsive, and eccentric. He can be quick to anger and sometimes says things that upset or offend others. He’s loyal and his convictions run deep, and his loyalty drives his aspirations to wealth so he can help his community. At the beginning of the novel, Jarrell admires Mack, who makes money selling drugs and buys all the kids in the housing projects ice cream. Jarrell hopes great to be able to give back to his community the way he thinks Mack does. Jarrell comes to realize Mack’s true role as he seeks to memorialize Steph and learn who murdered his friend. He also learns that his bias about snitching is another way individuals like Mack are able to control others and keep them silent.

Jarrell plays a key role in helping Jasmine and Quadir learn who is responsible for Steph’s murder. He serves as the spark that begins Steph’s career in music, as he takes some of his music with Jasmine’s permission from the funeral reception. Through his knowledge of computers, Jarrell burns the first CD of the Architect’s music, and is quick to acknowledge their need for a larger operation to disperse Steph’s music. Jarrell’s assistance and teamwork with Jasmine and Quadir lead to the closure and solutions to both Rashad’s and Steph’s murders.

Mr. and Mrs. Davis are Steph, Jasmine, and Carl’s parents. Mr. Davis was responsible, morally inclined, and intelligent. He wanted to protect and improve his community, even if it meant risking his life as a police informant. After Mr. Davis’s murder, Steph follows closely in his father’s footsteps. He frequently imagines what his father might think about a situation, then acts accordingly and advises others to act accordingly as well. Steph’s admiration of his father highlights The Complexity of Grief: With his father gone, Steph strives to keep his ideals alive by living them himself. Steph also becomes a police informant, helping solve several cases. However, Steph loses his own life when others find out he’s an informant, which creates more grief for Steph’s family, who is still grieving Mr. Davis. For Mrs. Davis and Jasmine, grief has a compounding effect because they’re now processing multiple deaths in their family.

Mrs. Davis is loving, resilient, and loyal. She experiences grief deeply, but she keeps pushing forward so she can take care of her remaining children. Mrs. Davis demonstrates The Complexity of Grief as she loses her perception of time and copes through deep cleaning while leaving Steph’s room untouched. She ultimately memorializes her son through signing his record label contract, allowing his music to be heard by the world.

Dante is a local kid around the same age as Steph, Jarrell, and Quadir. Dante is not part of their core friend group, but the boys are all friendly with him. Dante’s connections allow him to be a mobile character who moves from various groups, making him an elusive figure within the narrative. Dante invites the boys to a neighborhood party, leads them to Kaven’s recording studio, and forces Jarrell and Quadir to confront their views about snitching. Dante’s silence and fear illustrate the novel’s theme of The Limits of Legal and Extralegal Justice as he strives to remain in the background. He aims to receive little to no attention, refuses to snitch to law enforcement, but bends to snitching to Mack, resulting in multiple murders. Dante contributes to the corrupt system that Steph’s community operates within and prevents justice being achieved for Rashad and Steph, spreading more pain for their loved ones.

Mack lives nearby Steph, Jarrell, and Quadir and is friends with Jarrell. Mack makes his money by selling crack cocaine in their neighborhood, making him a polarizing force for many who do not want to be associated with him or his activities. He manipulates his image within the community by purchasing ice cream for all the neighborhood children, but like Dante, Mack illustrates how people are not always who they seem to be. While his ice cream purchase is admired by most, it’s funded by his money from selling drugs, and the disapproving glare of disgust from one of the children keeps this fact in the narrative forefront.

By the end of the novel, Jarrell renounces his friendship with Mack, as he ordered Steph’s death through Bumpy. Mack repeatedly tells Jarrell that he doesn’t know who killed Steph, and that if he ever finds out, he’ll kill the person himself to get justice for Steph. However, this is a massive lie, because he actually planned Steph’s murder and has no intentions of ever sharing this with Jarrell. Their “friendship” is based on Mack’s idea that Jarrell can go to college, then work for Mack as a lawyer, accountant, or other job that requires book smarts. Mack pretends he’s encouraging Jarrell to attend college out of concern for Jarrell’s best interests, but this is again a lie. Mack is one of several characters who emphasize the idea that honesty is the best policy.