Field Recordings

Check out my UFO alien abduction docu-poem here on Devilfish Review. Really, a poem about despair-- with an allusion to Macbeth. My work will be featured on the Good Men Project later this year. More details to come. Working on prose, novel work, and short stories, and of course, fiddling with poetry manuscripts. Lots to be grateful for. Lots of work to do. Peace and peaches. Ciao S

Hip hop has become mainstream America, walking hand in hand with big country nashville and American Idol pop as a big three headed fashion, music and lifestyle brand. Hip hop is now a pallette for lifestyle choices, available in any flavor.  But that hasn't always been the case. At one time hip hop was the DIY voice of independent African American MCs and DJs trying to escape poverty. Now hip hop is anything from Jack White rapping on “Lazaretto” to Blake Shelton’s “Boys Round Here” to poppy R&B radio commercial hits. There's a fair amount of discussion recently about the state of hip hop among its players. Brand Nubian's Lamar recently bemoaned the state of hip hop in XXL questioning "how much water can you add to the whisky without getting drunk?"  Lamar is really talking about hip hop aesthetics here, about country rap (Rebelcore) and rock rap, and Macklemore's cross cultural messages directed towards LGBT youth.  Kid Cudi told Arsenio Hall that