“Back & Forth”: Towards a Theory of The New Jack Swing

I really, really enjoy the song “Finesse (Remix)” by Bruno Mars and Cardi B. Judging by the streaming and play numbers, you probably do as well. I wonder if part of the reason why I like the song so much is because it has that wonderful blend of smooth singing and hip hop beats –… Continue reading “Back & Forth”: Towards a Theory of The New Jack Swing

“Just Bought a Cadillac”: Hip Hop and Caddy Culture

Spurred on by an amazing talk about Outkast by African American life and culture researcher Dr. Regina Bradley at Emory’s James Weldon Johnson Institute, I’ve been thinking a lot about the figure of the Cadillac in Southern hip hop music. But nothing here is fully fleshed out just yet. Bradley talked a bit about Outkast’s… Continue reading “Just Bought a Cadillac”: Hip Hop and Caddy Culture