Photo: Mwa410 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Hanif Abdurraqib is, frankly, one of the writers I most want to keep reading. A poet, essayist and cultural critic out of Columbus, Ohio, he writes about music the way few people can, treating a beat or a performance as a doorway into memory, grief and Black joy. His MacArthur Fellowship in 2021 only confirmed what readers already felt: this is the real thing. What captivates me is the tenderness in his attention, the way he honors performance as something sacred rather than disposable. He turns criticism into devotion, and I find that both rare and deeply human.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Hanif Abdurraqib
- Name (Japanese)
- ハニフ・アブドゥルラキブ
- Reading
- はにふ・あぶどぅるらきぶ
- Born
- August 25, 1983 (age 42)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Boar
- Origin
- Columbus, Ohio, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- music critic / journalist / poet / essayist / cultural critic
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Beechcroft High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2021 MacArthur Fellows Program
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Hanif Abdurraqib born?
Born August 25, 1983 (age 42).
Where is Hanif Abdurraqib from?
Hanif Abdurraqib is from Columbus, Ohio, United States.
What does Hanif Abdurraqib do?
Hanif Abdurraqib works as music critic, journalist, poet, essayist, cultural critic.
Music critic — see all → · Journalist — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.