Welcome 2 Houston is here!

My book on Houston's hip hop heritage is now available for purchase.

Greetings,

I'm stopping through to announce that my first book, Welcome 2 Houston: Hip Hop Heritage in Hustle Town, is available for purchase!

Welcome 2 Houston is an ethnographic look at the complex relationship between place, identity and hip hop heritage in Houston, Texas. It centers the voices and experiences of various hip hop practitioners as they navigate the complicated relationship between local heritage and individual artistic identity. I explore how Black Houstonians’ intense bonds with place have fostered a hip hop heritage that local practitioners negotiate in a variety of ways. Street-based artists, underground rappers and Christian hip hoppers offer very nuanced perspectives on local heritage. I also examine the relationship between place and musical heritage through slab, Houston's unique urban car culture.

I've been working on this book for about a decade. I interviewed artists in coffee shops, record stores, private homes and even a Walgreens parking lot. I attended numerous shows and related events. My ultimate goal for this book is to shed light on the cultural depths and creative vibrancy of working class Black Houston. These communities raised me and generously welcomed me back as an ethnographer. I'm excited to share these stories with the world.

August 1st is the book's official pub date and feel free to purchase through your favorite bookstore. If you purchase the book through The University of Illinois Press, you can get 30% discount with promo code S23UIP.

I'm also available for interviews, events, book talks and more. Please contact at lwilkins2@wisc.edu to get the conversation going.

Until next time,

Langston