Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in On the Come Up, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity and Individuality
Racism and Prejudice
Trauma, Poverty, and Childhood
Control, Image, and Fame
Summary
Analysis
Bri and Malik ignore each other all day, and Malik sits with Shana on the bus home. Sonny moans that it sucks when Bri and Malik fight, but Bri refuses to let it go until Malik apologizes. Over the weekend, Bri discovers that the fridge is nearly empty. It's also covered in new, unpaid bills. Jay chose heat instead of food, since it's supposed to snow later. Jay enters the kitchen and says she's going to a food giveaway at the community center. She brushes off Trey's suggestion that she go to the welfare office, saying that she can't get food stamps as a college student unless she's employed.
Jay's choice to pay for heat instead of food illustrates the tough decisions that she has to make because of their financial situation. She understands that she can get food from other sources, but with snow coming, heat isn't negotiable. The mention that she can't get food stamps while in college shows another way that people are forced to remain in poverty—getting the degree will allow her to make more money, but she can't get the degree if she doesn't have food.
Themes
Jay tells Bri to come to the giveaway with her. Even though it's not even 8:00 in the morning, the line stretches out the door. Bri notices a news van and worries what will happen if her classmates see her, but Jay encourages her to not pay any attention. Bri looks at the other people in line and stares at her shoes when she sees the news camera panning in her direction. Jay strikes up a conversation with a woman in a housecoat and hair rollers, and by the time they get to the front of the line, Jay has made note of all the churches that distribute food.
Compiling a list of other food sources suggests that Jay suspects they'll have to live this way for a while. Bri's shame adds another layer of awfulness to living in poverty, as because she's so ashamed, she'll be less likely to ask for help and therefore, more willing to take drastic measures on her own to try to fix this situation.
Themes
Jay accepts a box from a volunteer as Bri notices that there's a black Santa and a boy wearing a "Mr. Swagerific" sweatshirt—Supreme and Milez—giving candy to kids. Jay tells Bri to ignore them and heads to the table with canned goods. Bri wants to scream when one lady looks at her with pity. Bri leaves Jay to walk around. She heads for the shoe table and finds an almost-new pair of Timbs in her size. Bri deliberates about whether to take the shoes. The soles of her shoes are almost gone, but someone else might not have shoes at all. Bri also doesn't want to accept charity. She tries not to cry.
These new Timbs simultaneously represent everything Bri wants and everything she emphatically doesn't: while she wants the boots, she wants them to be a symbol of having made it, not a symbol of getting lucky at a charity event. In this moment, the Timbs tell Bri that she isn't making it and that making it might not be possible, given how difficult things are at home.
Themes
Supreme comes up behind Bri, calls her Li'l Law, and tells her to try the Timbs on. Bri refuses and tells the reader that she needs to be on guard: Supreme is certainly still sore that she beat Milez at the Ring. With a laugh, Supreme says that Bri is just like Lawless—upset over a line and ready to fight. He says knowingly that Bri needs the boots, but Bri lies and says she doesn't. Supreme goes on and says she shouldn't be ashamed. When he learns that this is Bri's first giveaway, he says she'll get used to the sympathetic looks. He then changes the subject and compliments Bri for how she performed in the Ring. He says that Bri has "It" and that Lawless would be proud. Bri is shocked to get this compliment.
Bri's sense that she should be on guard around Supreme indicates that she has good instincts which, if properly developed, could make her a shrewd businessperson in the music industry. However, it's also important to keep in mind the power dynamic at play. Remember that Supreme was Lawless's manager and is currently managing a very successful rapper—in Bri's mind, he's a successful person with power in the industry. Because Bri has mostly talent and instinct, she doesn't have the wherewithal to see Supreme as the threat he is.
Themes
Get the entire On the Come Up LitChart as a printable PDF.
Supreme says he's disappointed that Bri isn't doing anything with her talent; he saw she doesn't have music online. When he learns that Aunt Pooh is Bri's manager, he laughs and says that Pooh probably heard about Dee-Nice's deal and thinks that keeping Bri at the Ring will get her one too. This is true, but Bri ignores him. Supreme says that she needs to do more—he's Dee-Nice's manager, and Dee-Nice did more. He says she needs to get the right song out there. He gives Bri a business card and then starts to walk away. Bri says she has a song and pulls out her phone. She awkwardly asks him to listen to it, thinking that if he can do amazing things for Dee-Nice, Milez, and Lawless, maybe he can help her too.
In this moment, Bri shows Supreme all her cards and gives him even more power. After listening to her song, Supreme will know exactly how talented Bri is and what she's capable of producing, even in a less-than-ideal studio setting and with a less-than-ideal home situation. This makes her a potentially valuable asset for him, especially given that Bri desperately wants to make this work. As far as she's concerned, this is her only chance to make it big—an idea that while understandable, isn't necessarily true.
Themes
Supreme listens with no emotion, but when the song is over, he says it's a hit. He tells Bri to put it online and text him the link, and he'll send it around. Jay walks over and greets Supreme coolly. He tells her that he and Miles are here to give back and he wants Miles to know how fortunate he is. Bri thinks that her situation shouldn't be an "after-school special." Supreme starts to offer Jay help, but Jay cuts him off and leads Bri away. Outside, volunteers tell people still lined up that the giveaway is over.
Supreme's explanation for why he and Miles are here and specifically, Bri's reaction, shows Bri that Supreme is willing to capitalize on the misfortune of others in order to make himself feel (and look) good. This should be a warning for Bri, as it suggests that she shouldn't trust Supreme with anything.
Themes
Bri feels awful walking past them with a box of food. Jay puts it in the trunk and makes a Forrest Gump reference. Bri tells the reader that Forrest Gump is her second favorite movie, as she loves the idea that a guy like Forrest could see and do so much. Everything happened to him because of luck, and Bri wonders if she just had a lucky moment with Supreme.
In deciding to think of her moment with Supreme as a possible lucky break, Bri disregards the fact that moments ago she wondered if she could even trust him. This shows how badly Bri wants to make it big.
Themes
Jay asks what Bri and Supreme were talking about. Bri doesn't mention the song, but says that Supreme said she has "It" and could be a star. Jay says that's obvious; she saw it in the battle video. She says that Bri has been performing since she was a baby, and Lawless used to say that their "miracle" was going to be a superstar. Bri asks why they called her a miracle, and Jay explains that she had four miscarriages before having Bri. Jay blinks back tears.
It's worth noting that according to Jay, Lawless wasn't necessarily attributing Bri's future stardom to the fact that he's a star—he was letting her stand on her own two feet, even as a toddler. This suggests that were he alive, Lawless would encourage Bri to form her own identity and fame, separate from his.
Themes
