Life in a Shanty Town

By Byron Crawford

A free, weekly email newsletter from the pioneering hip-hop blogger and author of books like Infinite Crab Meats and No Country for Black Men, with topics including racism, homophobia, healthy living, respect for women, tolerance for religion and who really runs the music industry

Previous issues

Kodak Black paid Young MA a compliment

#100 Mar 22, 2019

Pray for YBN Almighty Jay

#99 Mar 15, 2019

Reminder: Michael Jackson made Thriller

#98 Mar 8, 2019

#97

Mar 1, 2019

Stakes is high, funds is low – Internets,I was disappointed to hear that De La Soul won't be making any money from their back-catalo
#96

Feb 22, 2019

Bury Jussie Smollett underneath the jail – Internets,It turns out I was right about Jussie Smollett.Yesterday, the "Empire" actor turned himself
#95

Feb 15, 2019

Only the best artists are MeToo'd – Internets,Last week it was nothing but good news from me, but that was last week.This was a tough wee
#94

Feb 8, 2019

The lord giveth, and the lord taketh away – Internets,First of all, a couple of important announcements:1) Not that anyone gives a shit, but I'm
#93

Feb 1, 2019

Who really put a shoe on Jussie Smollet? – Internets,What does it say about me that, when I heard that "Empire" star Jussie Smollet was nearly a
#92

Jan 25, 2019

Why Big Boi, Travis Scott and Gladys Knight agreed to perform at the Super Bowl – Internets,When I wrote, a few weeks ago, about Jay-Z trying to talk Travis Scott out of performing at
#91

Jan 18, 2019

What's Hov got to do with it? – Internets,Jay-Z has been suspiciously quiet about the Lifetime R. Kelly movie, for someone who, not t
#90

Jan 11, 2019

Surviving Touré – Internets,I believe it was Willem Dafoe in the movie The Last Temptation of Christ, or possibly 2Pac,
#89

Jan 4, 2019

R. Kelly must be trying to buy NBC – Internets,I wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that R. Kelly was once married to Aaliyah for a ho
#88

Dec 28, 2018

Put a culture vulture on notice in 2019 – Internets,One of the few things giving me hope going into 2019 is the fact that Dame Dash is still ou
#87

Dec 21, 2018

Travis Scott doesn't need Jay-Z's advice – Internets,Jay-Z is trying to talk Travis Scott out of performing at the Super Bowl, but I suspect tha
#86

Dec 14, 2018

Ebro, Kodak Black and the business case for virtue signaling – Internets,I applaud Ebro for taking Kodak Black to task for his alleged "non-con" lovemaking, not bec
#85

Dec 7, 2018

Kevin Hart stood tall, despite physical limitations – Internets,I never thought I'd be giving props to Kevin Hart, and yet here I am.I have no use for the
#84

Nov 30, 2018

Why I'm glad Meek Mill is not in prison – Internets,I have no interest in Meek Mill's music, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a deep se
#83

Nov 23, 2018

Tekashi 6ix9ine only commits sex crimes – Internets,It's not in a black man's nature to send out a free, weekly email newsletter the day after
#82

Nov 16, 2018

Bhad Bhabie is not to be toyed with – Internets,The video of Danielle Bregoli, a/k/a Bhad Bhabie, throwing a drink on Iggy Azalea was the m
#81

Nov 9, 2018

Country music is a menace and should be banned – Internets,Let the record show that I raised a concern about violence in country music after the Las V

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