Chronicling Stankonia

Reviews

“This treatise from leading Southern hip-hop scholar Regina N. Bradley is a revelatory collection of essays—part literary criticism, part sonic analysis, part personal memoir—that serves as an overdue and thrilling intervention on the NYC/L.A.-centric canon of hip-hop criticism. . . . A masterful work of criticism.”—Rolling Stone “With vivid narrative and critical analysis, Bradley presents an innovative examination of the profound legacy and influence of Southern hip hop music and culture.”—Ms. Magazine “Chronicling Stankonia is an engaging read, one that adroitly balances rigorous academic research with a deeply personal narrative about Black life and art in the post-Civil Rights Era in the South.”—The Arts Fuse “[Bradley] is less interested in writing a biography tracing the short reign of the South’s greatest rap group. . . . and more fascinated with why OutKast matters. . . . [As] Bradley maintains, Big Boi and André continue to influence a new era of outkasted artists—musicians, filmmakers, and authors, most notably two of the best American writers working today: Kiese Laymon and Jesmyn Ward. . . . The best parts of this short book of essays find Bradley reminiscing about her own outkastedness.”—A.V. Club “Dr. Regina N. Bradley does an amazing job of reminding us how important the south is to hip-hop culture. . . . Bradley challenges us to acknowledge how southern culture influences Black identity and music.”—Book Riot “Using OutKast’s discography as a reference of sorts, Dr. Bradley’s latest book helps define new cultural pathways for Black Southerners who came of age in the 1980s and 1990s and have used hip-hop culture to buffer themselves from the historical narratives and sometimes crushing expectations of the civil rights era.”—Atlanta Magazine “Regina Bradley’s book gives Southern rap the academic treatment it was long overdue.”—Reckon South “Chronicling Stankonia is the book that Regina N. Bradley was meant to write. She has emerged in recent years as one of the best scholars of Southern hip hop, and she is able to create discussion in really accessible ways that are fun to read without sacrificing any challenging concepts. It all comes through in a really impactful book that I'm sure we'll be referencing for years to come.”—Chi Chi Thalken, Scratched Vinyl “The brisk, ebullient Chronicling Stankonia finds Regina N. Bradley deftly spinning tales of hip hop’s rise in the American south, with OutKast the chief protagonist.”—Boulder Weekly “Readers will undeniably want to stream Outkast’s hits on repeat once they manage to put down Bradley’s book.”—EBONY Magazine Expand reviews