In Dirty South: Outkast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop, journalist Ben Westhoff explores the genre that is often thought of as “simple” or lacking a message.

Including interviews with key figures like Luke Campbell (southern rap’s “godfather”), Juvenile, Big Boi of OutKast, Memphis trailblazers 8Ball & MJG, and Houston legend Scarface, Dirty South shares the stories of acts that put southern rap on the map, and lays out why the genre is so vital.

Acting as both investigative journalist and irreverent critic, Westhoff journeys across the southern United States in a small Hyundai, and the exclusive interviews with the genre’s prominent players take many forms—watching rappers “make it rain” in a Houston strip club, partying with Luke Campbell, visiting the gritty neighborhoods where T.I. and Lil Wayne grew up, and speaking with popular-but-derided artists DJ Smurf and Ms. Peachez along the way. The celebrated but dark history of Houston’s Rap-A-Lot Records, the lethal rivalry between Atlanta’s Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy, and the venerable Scarface’s memories from time in a mental institution are just a few of the textured and tricky subjects explored.

Peppered with surprising details and insider perspectives that make the growth and revolution of hip-hop a cultural touchstone, Dirty South is a fresh and highly readable account of the scene, the society that fostered it and its effect on the music industry.

Ben Westhoff is a former staff writer for St. Louis’ Riverfront Times, who has also written for Village Voice, Creative Loafing, Spin and Pitchfork. His web site is benwesthoff.com

BSP Authors Mike Marvins and John DeMers will be signing copies of their new Texas-based books. There’ll be food, drinks, and of course, books!

Hope to see you there!

{December 4: Book. What book – fiction or non – touched you? Where were you when you read it? Have you bought and given away multiple copies?}

I’m actually STILL reading it, but it’s quickly becoming a topic of many of my conversations here in New York. So apparently it’s had a profound impact on me over the past week that I’ve been reading it.

Since I’ve been brainstorming, and half-ass writing, two books this year, Bird by Bird has been an excellent motivation for me to just get over all the analyzing and just WRITE.

My copy is a borrowed copy from Andrew Karnavas, and is signed by the author. He was hesitant to let it leave his hands, but I promise I’m taking great care of it!

Thanks to my writing coach, Beth Irvine, who has pretty much functioned as my therapist over the past year. Thanks, Beth for always encouraging me. And to Lucy Chambers, my partner in saving the world, for sharing with me her fascination with words.

I’ve sung Jim Parsons praises since the day I met him.  Arguably one of THE most knowledgeable resources on all things Houston, and one helluva inhaler of Barnaby’s Blue Cheese Fries.

Jim, along with the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance‘s David Bush, has been working on a Houston Art Deco architecture book, and it’s finally time to share it with eager, Houston-adoring fans, like yours truly. :-)

This Thursday, January 15th, ArCH’s ArchiTypes and the Houston Public Library present:

Houston Deco: Modernistic Architecture of the Texas Coast
with authors Jim Parsons and David Bush.

“Join us on the 4th floor of the Downtown Houston Public Library at 6:00pm on Thursday, January 15th, for a presentation by authors Jim Parson and David Bush. A book signing and reception will follow immediately at the Architecture Center Houston (ArCH) at 7:00pm.”

About Houston Deco: Modernistic Architecture of the Texas Coast:
When it comes to Art Deco, Houston is rarely cited in the same breath as Miami, New York or Los Angeles, but the city boasts many gorgeous examples of this early 20th-century style, some of which are in jeopardy of being forever altered or demolished. In the 1920s, as Houston was beginning its transition from medium-sized Southern city to major American metropolis, local business and civic leaders made a conscious decision to create a new image for their community. As the Roaring Twenties gave way to the Great Depression, Art Deco zigzags and Art Moderne streamlining reshaped the city’s stores, skyscrapers, factories and apartment buildings. Through color photographs, David Bush and Jim Parsons showcase the fine detailing on Houston’s surviving Art Deco and Art Moderne structures. From downtown landmarks to east end industrial sites, Houston Deco captures the grace and beauty of these innovative designs with an eye toward the importance of conservation, restoration and preservation.

About Authors in Architecture:
Debuting in January 2009, Authors in Architecture is a new collaboration between the Houston Public Library and ArchiTypes, the inaugural membership group of ArCH. Our aim is to create a new dialogue between these two downtown cultural centers and their patrons. This monthly series is free and open to the public.

About ArchiTypes:
ArchiTypes is a membership organization of Architecture Center Houston (ArCH) dedicated to increasing appreciation of architecture, understanding our built environment and encouraging sustainable development. There are no membership requirements other than an interest in architecture including environmental responsibility, urban design, interior design, public art, and landscape architecture. To join ArchiTypes please contact nicole@aiahouston.org or call 713.520.0155 for further information.

Houston Public Library Downtown
500 McKinney, 4th Floor
Houston, TX 77002
6:00pm

Architecture Center Houston (ArCH)
315 Capitol, Suite 120
Houston, TX 77002
7:00pm

Recommended parking at the Houston Public Library parking garage or the Hobby Center parking garage.

Follow Jim on Twitter: @fourfive

Follow Greater Houston Preservation Alliance on Twitter: @ghpa