We always talk about East versus West in hip hop 90s rivalry but the South was building something parallel (bass-heavy, regional, club-oriented, and deeply communal) without needing coastal validation. What is striking is that decades later, house DJs frequently sample 1990s Southern rap, yet this influence is rarely named as a Southern lineage; the South... Continue Reading →
Sonic Geography in Miami: Art Basel Beyond the Gallery
Coming to Miami for the second time this year for Art Basel 2025 rejuvenates my spirit. I feel more alive there, held by a kind of “main character” energy that I do not always feel in Southern California. Traveling during week ten of the quarter and the beginning of finals made something click for me:... Continue Reading →
Everything Is Political Including the Dancefloor
Frankie Knuckles People love to say "not everything is political." But life itself is political. From the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the spaces where we gather. Music has always been part of that fight, whether on a sweaty dancefloor in Chicago, a warehouse in LA, a drag performance in Puerto Rico,... Continue Reading →
SoCal Millennial: Raving as Ritual of Belonging and Self-Making
EDC 2009 (Saturday) Left to Right: J, Pinkwhore, Gynawho, Alehzay & La Lucha Sucia. “We wore flufflies, Hello Kitty backpacks, kandi, glitter and danced all night until the sun rose before anyone called it a bender.” said Molly Margarita, Mama K and La Lucha Sucia in a Story Circle interview. Rave culture in Southern California... Continue Reading →
For the HoneyLuvers
For my HoneyLuvers, this one’s for us. The ones who feel the bass in our chest like a heartbeat, who find home on the dancefloor, who know sound is a form of resistance. Photo via @honeyluv Instagram April 24, 2025 This blog centers on Taylor Character, known as HoneyLuv, a Black woman house DJ from... Continue Reading →