SO! Amplifies: Regina Bradley’s Outkasted Conversations

SO! Amplifies. . .a highly-curated, rolling mini-post series by which we editors hip you to cultural makers and organizations doing work we really really dig. You’re welcome!
—
As folks rightfully celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nas’ Illmatic album, I wanted to make sure space was made to equally celebrate and critically think about the stank that Outkast put on hip hop. I want to take the conversation outside of the academy into spaces where others could join the conversation. To do this, I set up a YouTube channel and sent out invitations to friends and colleagues I knew were vested in Outkast or whose work could be used to situate Outkast in creative and critical conversations. The response to the project thus far has been overwhelmingly positive. I have conversations scheduled to broadcast until the end of the year. Here’s episode #4, a teaser to bring the Sounding Out! crowd in on the conversation.
My Outkasted Conversations project started with a fleeting thought while speaking with a friend: “It’s the 20th anniversary of Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik? Damn. It’s really been twenty years?!” I was ten years old when Southerplayalistic dropped and didn’t really understand or appreciate the brilliance of the album back in 1994. I was in the initial stages of becoming someone vested in music, let alone hip hop. My definition of music was still deeply attached to what I learned in my music class. I could play the hell out of a recorder. I did a recorder solo at my school’s spring concert and was applauded like a boss.
I flirted around with being a ‘Kast fan – I remember them on Martin and later wearing out the track “In Due Time” on the Soul Food soundtrack – but it wasn’t until 1998 that I really became “Outkasted.” I permanently moved to my grandparents’ house in Albany, GA. I was tall, lanky, and awkward. I was a black Keds white socks connoisseur because you never wear white shoes in red clay. I battled the teenaged pangs of wanting to be popular and visible. I wouldn’t consider myself ‘hip hop’ at the time but I knew the heavy hitters from days of listening to WKYS out of Washington, D.C. I could school anyone on the latest single from Busta Rhymes, Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Nas, Lil’ Kim, and Foxy Brown and Go-Go-ed with the best of them. Down South, though, those artists were important but they weren’t folk. As I listened to the radio, the artists that I was familiar with got no play. I tried to wax (northern) hip hop philosophical at lunch and got some serious side-eyes. A classmate scolded, “those up north n— don’t matter down here. What you listening on from ‘round hea (here)?” Round hea? Nothing but a mix tape I made off of the radio before leaving Virginia, gospel cavalcade on Sunday morning rides to church, and Paw Paw’s juke joint blues on Saturday morning while cleaning up the house. If I wanted to survive, I needed to adapt. I recorded multiple radio mixtapes, meticulously blending the artists I heard kids at school talking about and my own musings after browsing the record store in the mall. Slowly, Wyclef Jean and Montell Jordan were replaced by Three Six Mafia, Goodie Mob, and Outkast. Aquemini and Still Standing held a chokehold on my playlist. I became a full-fledged member of the Dungeon Family Chuch of Modern Day (S)Aints.
The following episode of Outkasted Conversations is with Dr. Treva B. Lindsey, Assistant Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the Ohio State University. This conversation features discussion of how the sonic elements of women’s pleasure complicate gender and identity politics in Outkast’s body of work.
To subscribe to Regina Bradley’s Outkasted Conversations via Youtube click here.
—
Featured Image: SO CLEAN PSP by Flicker User John Bracken
—
Regina Bradley recently completed her PhD at Florida State University in African American Literature. Her dissertation is titled “Race to Post: White Hegemonic Capitalism and Black Empowerment in 21st Century Black Popular Culture and Literature.” She is a regular writer for Sounding Out!
—
REWIND!…If you liked this post, you may also dig:
“Death Wish Mixtape: Sounding Trayvon Martin’s Death”-Regina Bradley
“From Illegitimate to Illmatic: On Tiger Mothers, Ethnoburbs, and Playing the Violin While Dreaming of Nas”-Christie Zwahlen
“Sounding Out! Podcast #5: Song and Spirit on the Highway” -David Greenberg
Tags: Biggie Smalls, Busta Rhymes, Foxy Brown, Illmatic, Lil' Kim, Nas, OutKast, Outkasted Conversations, Red Clay Scholar, Regina Bradley, Soul Food, sound studies, Treva Lindsey, Tupac, video blog, vlog
About Regina N. Bradley
Dr. Regina N. Bradley is a writer, scholar, and researcher of African American Life and Culture. She is a recipient of the Nasir Jones HipHop Fellowship at Harvard University (Spring 2016) and an Assistant Professor of English and African Diaspora Studies at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA. Dr. Bradley's expertise and research interests include hip hop culture, race and the contemporary U.S. South, and sound studies. Dr. Bradley's current book project, Chronicling Stankonia: Recognizing America's Hip Hop South (under contract, UNC Press), explores how hip hop (with emphasis on the southern hip hop duo Outkast) and popular culture update conversations about the American South to include the post-Civil Rights era. Also known as Red Clay Scholar, a nod to her Georgia upbringing, Regina maintains a critically acclaimed blog and personal website – www.redclayscholar.com.ISSN 2333-0309
Recent Posts
- “It’s Time to End the Publishing Gatekeeping!”: SO! stands with RaceB4Race
- Listen to yourself!: Spotify, Ancestry DNA, and the Fortunes of Race Science in the Twenty-First Century
- Black Excellence on the Airwaves: Nora Holt and the American Negro Artist Program
- Blank Space and “Asymmetries of Childhood Innocence”
- Youth, Reverberations, and Detroit’s Most Charismatic Rapper
Archives
Categories
Search for topics. . .
Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!
- RT @rebel19: "Much like any Black experience, Black deaf people’s experiences with Black ASL vary from person to person, and seldom neatly… 4 hours ago
- Why J.Lo’s Spanish turn during Biden’s inauguration meant so much independent.co.uk/voices/jennife… 4 hours ago
- criterion.com/current/posts/… 5 hours ago
Like us on Facebook!
RSS Feeds
Authors Sounding Out!
-
202smike
-
Tahmahkera
-
aalbin2014
-
abradschwartz
-
abronfman
-
acajc3
-
Adam Craig
-
admiller99
-
afamsound
-
airekb
-
Andy Kelleher Stuhl
-
Wanda Alarcon
-
Alexandrine Lacelle
-
Alexander W. Cowan
-
Alexis Deighton MacIntyre
-
Alexander Russo
-
allisonoyoung1
-
alyxvesey
-
amandakeeler35
-
andré m. carrington Ph.D.
-
Tara Rodgers
-
Andreas Duus Pape
-
Aaron Trammell
-
annafriz
-
Andrew J. Salvati
-
aramsinnreich
-
arenaboy14
-
asamendelsohn
-
ashoncrawley
-
atau20
-
aureliomezavaldez
-
austinthomasrichey
-
awrasmussen
-
badcoverversion
-
Bridget Hoida
-
Benjamin Gold
-
bentausig
-
bighapa75
-
Bill Bahng Boyer
-
bonniesmillar
-
brianedgarhanrahan
-
@unibcarlson
-
brownellcassie
-
caleblazaromoreno
-
lcardoso
-
D. Ines Casillas
-
cbudhaditya
-
celestedaymoore
-
charlesweiselberg
-
chrischienblog
-
clairescooley
-
camscott
-
Colin Black
-
cooksterkc
-
cpastdaboxsoundwordwaves
-
croman2
-
Craig Shank
-
Caitlin Marshall
-
Shawn Higgins
-
cyndaminthia
-
Christie Zwahlen
-
Dan DiPiero
-
danielcavicchi
-
Danijela Kulezic-Wilson
-
davdlee
-
davidbgreenberg
-
davidfontnavarrete
-
davidhendy
-
ddkeane
-
debraraecohen
-
Denise Gill
-
derekvaillant
-
dhad21
-
Monica De La Torre
-
Brittnay Proctor
-
dorothyk98
-
dpettman
-
drdawkins
-
J. Stoever
-
Osvaldo Oyola
-
drtonieshaltaylor
-
Meghan Drury
-
dtraversscott
-
Daniel A. Walzer
-
earlbrooksumbc
-
ecopoetics
-
ehrick2014
-
eleanorkr
-
eleona
-
Elizabeth Newton
-
empetch
-
Emma Leigh
-
encaramarla
-
Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo
-
ericweisbard
-
erikgranly
-
erupton
-
Emmanuelle Sonntag
-
estherbourdages
-
ewl4p
-
fallingmountaineering
-
fbridges
-
Feminatronic
-
flipsin77
-
fugikawa
-
gameaudioschool
-
gaylewald1
-
gcornish
-
ghostyblog
-
ginaarnold
-
Gretchen Jude
-
Gus Stadler
-
guestlistener
-
Holger Schulze
-
hystericalblackness
-
iandunham920
-
ianrawes
-
iancoss
-
imanikaijohnson
-
irisviverosavendao
-
jacobsmith1970
-
James Hodges
-
jaymloomis
-
jbraddoc
-
jdowdell
-
jeajou
-
Jeb Middlebrook
-
jeckstein
-
Jentery Sayers
-
jeteague
-
jgabrielaj
-
jhyland0
-
jlzweck
-
jmartinvest
-
Josh Garrett-Davis
-
jnmusser
-
Jonathan Sterne
-
Josh Ottum
-
Joshua Hudelson
-
jstasiowska
-
jtlsty1
-
Juan Sebastian Ferrada
-
juntinghuang
-
justinadamsburton
-
jwernimont
-
Kaj Ahlsved
-
kaitlynliu
-
katbat67
-
kellyhiser
-
Kelly J. Baker
-
kemiadeyemi
-
kevin13allred
-
knw8433
-
kristinmoriah
-
kstedman
-
kswinehart
-
kwjager
-
laorale
-
priscilla peña ovalle
-
liam665
-
Lilian Radovac
-
lindaokeeffe
-
Yun Emily Wang
-
lucrecciaquintanilla4010
-
Mack Hagood
-
madisonianmoore
-
magz hall
-
Maile Colbert
-
maramills
-
marcus3001
-
Maria Sonevytsky
-
maritjmac
-
markadavidson5
-
marlenriosh
-
marycaton
-
mattlaferty
-
mbrantner
-
mcenaney
-
mcmahonmr
-
John Melillo
-
Melle Kromhout
-
mhabellp
-
mhelquist
-
michellecommander
-
mikederrico
-
Milena
-
mlevine24
-
mseth2
-
kgoldschmitt
-
nabeelzuberi
-
napolinjb
-
Michelle M. Sauer
-
Nichole Rustin-Paschal
-
nicolefurlonge
-
nse
-
nkhverma
-
zeitkunst
-
nocoates
-
norieguthrie
-
Nick Mizer
-
obrienmurga
-
Erika
-
Owen Marshall
-
palmerlandon
-
Steven Hammer
-
pavitrasundar
-
Peter DiCola
-
Parker Fishel
-
pinkstoncb
-
pjaikumar
-
Lewis
-
primusluta
-
j.l. stoever
-
qiushixu
-
Robert Ford
-
rajnaswaminathan
-
Ronit Ghosh
-
rkheshti
-
rmjames
-
Regina N. Bradley
-
robertcryan
-
Roger Moseley
-
rsl318
-
ruichaves01
-
ruigomescosta
-
santaperversa
-
Sarah Kessler
-
sbahssin
-
sceraso
-
schedel
-
schizophone
-
sege22
-
shakiraholt
-
shannonkmooney
-
Shantam Goyal
-
shaynamsilverstein
-
Liana M. Silva
-
smayberryscott
-
snpinto
-
sonialidesigns
-
Sphinxy
-
ssepulve588
-
sshorowitz
-
ssmithsoundingout
-
Stuart
-
suhrhcmiamiohedu
-
svancour
-
svhinojos
-
Tara
-
tblake81
-
tedsammons
-
Benjamin Bean
-
theluisgarcia
-
Tim J. Anderson
-
timm750
-
travisgosa
-
trevorboffone
-
valdes23
-
Karen Tongson
-
vincentandrisani
-
Dr. O'C
-
Benjamin Wright
-
wsgershon
-
yessica07garcia
-
yhoward76
-
yvonbonenfant
-
zaf3
-
Carlo Patrão
Blogroll
- A Closer Listen
- A New Theater of Sound
- Acousmata
- Analog Tara
- Antenna
- Anthropology of Sound
- Aquarium Drunkard
- Aram Sinnreich's blog
- Audio Cookbook
- Binaural Diaries
- Binaural/Nodar
- Blackadelic Pop
- Blogging Ethnomusicologists
- Bodies|Sounds|Technologies
- British Library's Sound Recordings
- Bully Bloggers
- Captivating Sound
- Create Digital Music
- Cultural Organology
- Designing Sound
- Diary of a Bad Housewife (Alice Bag)
- Disquiet
- Dr. Guy's MusiQologY
- Ear Room
- Ear to the Ground
- Electra
- European Sound Studies Association
- Everyday Listening
- Fembot
- Feminist Music Geek
- Filmsound.org
- First Sounds
- Girrlsound
- Greg Goodale
- HASTAC Sound Forum
- Hear is Queer
- Her Beats
- Her Noise Archive
- I have synth
- IASPM-US
- Interference
- Journal of Sonic Studies
- Kathleen (Hanna)'s Blog
- Klangschreiber
- Land Recorder
- Listen Party
- Listening 440 (Josh kun)
- London Sound Survey
- Lubricity (Alex W. Rodriguez)
- Luz Maria Sanchez
- Mactrasound (Mack Hagood)
- Mediateletipos
- Mobile Sound
- Mudd Up! (DJ Rupture)
- Museum of Endangered Sounds
- New Black Man (Mark Anthony Neal)
- New York Society for Acoustic Ecology
- noise for airports
- Now Hear This
- Phonographies
- Phonozoic
- Pink Noises
- Preservation Sound
- Radiolab
- ROBOPROF.ORG (Kembrew McLeod)
- SAIC Department of Sound Blog
- Scoping UK Sound Studies
- Scott Topics (Scott Poulson Bryant)
- Sensate
- Sense and the City
- Sensory Studies
- Social Sound Design
- Sociosound
- Sonic Terrain
- Soul Sides
- Sound + Design
- Sound and Music
- Sound Art Text
- Sound Clash
- Sound Effects
- Sound in Media Culture
- Sound is Art
- Sound Studies Lab
- Sound/Unsound
- Soundcities
- Soundlandscapes
- Sounds Like Noise
- Sounds Like Staten Island
- Spooky and the Metronome
- sterneworks.org
- Super Bon! (Jonathan Sterne)
- Televisual
- The Ardent Audience
- The Big City
- The Field Reporter
- The Foley Diaries
- The Incredible Kaleidophone
- The Music of Sound
- The Soundscape
- The Theater of the Mind
- Turbulence
- Video Game Audio
- Wayne and Wax
- Weird Vibrations
- Women's Audio Mission
- World Listening Project
- Zsonics
Trackbacks / Pingbacks