The wealth of sounds and artists that have emerged from Memphis are explored throughout the issue:
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Elena Passarello takes a contrarian approach to the King’s catalog, considering a wildly famous bootleg of “shitty” Elvis songs.
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Zandria F. Robinson exalts Memphis rapper GloRilla’s “new blues woman gospel epistemology.”
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The story of Happy Hour, an unreleased collaboration between Jazze Pha and Cee-Lo Green, is told by Michael A. Gonzales.
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Andria Lisle profiles her late friend, singer-songwriter Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr., known as Jay Reatard, a luminary of the Memphis garage-punk scene.
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Award-winning musicologist Robert F. Darden details how Memphis and the Church of God in Christ form the roots of gospel singing’s emotional and supernatural core.
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William Skeaping is in conversation with the godfather of Memphis rap, DJ Spanish Fly, accompanied by archival images of the city’s hip-hop scene.
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Memphis historian and filmmaker Robert Gordon writes about jukeboxes—“the overlooked engines of the early record business.”
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And much, much more
“This isn’t a comprehensive take on Memphis. It’s a celebration of the music you may not know with some fresh takes on the music you do,” said Editor-in-Chief Sara A. Lewis. “Our favorite part of making our Music Issue every year is discovery—whether it’s a deep cut from a beloved artist or unearthing an obscure track. We want you to have as much fun listening and reading along to this issue as we did making it.”
