My Intro to Let You Know

“Time and time again see I be thinking about that future…”  ~ Big Boi [“Myintrotoletyouknow,” Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik]

They say the first one is always the hardest so let’s get this one in the books.  First, a little bit about me.  I am 36 years old, from rural Georgia, and currently live in Washington, DC.  I spent most of my days growing up playing video games, listening to hip hop, reading, writing, daydreaming, and hanging out with my very close family members–specifically my kid sister. My interests in math and science led me to pick up an engineering career and I currently work as a system engineer.  I’m currently pursuing my Masters in Data Analytics. I guess I have a lot of friends, but I consider myself a loner. I promise to reveal more about myself as the blog progresses.

Okay and now onto the blog.  My goal is to encourage more high-depth conversations pertaining to hip-hop lyricism.  It bothers me that in 2018, hip-hop music is still not respected for its complexity and literary value.  Okay, okay, I’ll be the first one to admit that some artists and songs warrant more lyrical analysis than others.  But, I will say this: be prepared to have your definition of lyricism challenged.  Being a Southerner, I have a wide range of hip hop taste:  from Action Bronson to Missy Elliott to Z-Ro.  As a result, expect analyses of works from artists not typically revered as lyricists.  And, oh yeah, expect lots of Outkast references–they’re my favorite group.

As my knowledge of data analysis applications and tools increase, my hip-hop analyses will become more sophisticated and nuanced.  My first couple of semesters of graduate school have been INTENSE and I look forward to sharing the experience with my readers.  As a result, this blog will feature a combination of lyrical deep-dives, hip-hop opinion pieces, reviews, historical reflections, and personal anecdotes.

More information about me (including my contact info) can be found on the About tab.  I want this to be a very interactive blog so feel free to comment and reach out to me directly.

 

~W. Mack