Hit Parade

Content Locked for Slate Plus members

The Bridge: Many Ways to be OutKasted

Chris Molanphy talks to OutKast expert Regina Bradley about what they meant to Southern hip-hop.

Episode Notes

In this mini-episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy is joined by Regina Bradley, assistant professor of English and African diaspora studies at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. She is the author of the forthcoming book Chronicling Stankonia: The Rise of the Hip Hop South; co-host of the southern hip-hop podcast Bottom of the Map on WABE and PRX; and host of the recent YouTube series OutKasted Conversations. Gina and Chris discuss the most recent full-length episode of Hit Parade, OutKast’s roots in Atlanta’s decadeslong funk tradition, and what they meant to Southerners who felt alienated not just by bicoastal hip-hop but also by Atlanta’s unequal progress on the challenges faced by its black residents.

Next, Chris quizzes a Slate Plus listener with some music trivia, and the contestant turns the tables with a chance to try to stump Chris with a question of his own. Then, Chris teases the upcoming full-length episode of Hit Parade, which will look at Lilith Fair, the all-female festival tour in the late ’90s, how it reflected women’s role in alternative rock, and its legacy to this day.

Podcast production by Asha Saluja.

About the Show

Chris Molanphy, a pop-chart analyst and author of Slate’s “Why Is This Song No. 1?” series, tells tales from a half-century of chart history. Through storytelling, trivia, and song snippets, Chris dissects how that song you love—or hate—dominated the airwaves, made its way to the top of the charts, and shaped your memories forever.

All episodes

Host

  • Chris Molanphy is a feature writer and critic who writes widely about music and the pop charts.