Toure Neblett American novelist, essayist, music journalist, cultural critic and television host Date of Birth: 20.03.1971 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Education
2. Writing Career
3. Television and Media
4. Controversy and Social Activism
5. Personal Life

Early Life and Education

Toure Neblett, a prominent American writer, journalist, and television personality, was born in Boston on March 20, 1971. Despite growing up without a father, he excelled academically, attending the prestigious Milton Academy. After a brief stint at Emory University, Toure left to pursue his literary dreams in New York City.

Writing Career

In 1992, Toure interned at Rolling Stone magazine, where his music reviews and feature articles on artists such as Lauryn Hill, Eminem, and Beyoncé caught the attention of the literary world. He went on to contribute to The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and The Village Voice, among others.

In 1996, after an unsuccessful article submission to The New Yorker, Toure joined Columbia University's writing program and began exploring fiction. His debut novel, "Soul City," a magical realist exploration of life in an African American utopia, was published in 2004.

Television and Media

In the late 1990s, Toure began appearing on talk shows and launched the MTV2 interview series "Spoke N' Heard." In 2004, he became CNN's first pop-culture correspondent, covering events like the Oscars and Grammys. He later joined Black Entertainment Television (BET) and MSNBC, hosting "The Black Carpet" and co-authoring the program "The Dylan Ratigan Show."

Currently, Toure hosts "Hiphop Shop" and "On the Record" on Fuse. He has also appeared on programs on Tennis Channel and Treasure HD.

Controversy and Social Activism

In 2012, Toure criticized Piers Morgan's interview with Robert Zimmerman, the brother of George Zimmerman, the police officer involved in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Toure accused Morgan of enabling Zimmerman to lie, sparking a public feud that culminated in a live interview where Toure asserted that Morgan's limited time in the United States prevented him from understanding the complexities of race in society.

Personal Life

Toure married Rita Nakouzion March 19, 2005, in Miami. Together, they have two children, Hendrix and Fairuz, and reside in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.