A Guest in the House

A Guest in the House

A Guest in the House, a podcast hosted by rapper and journalist David Shanks (aka Traum Diggs) and professor and author Mickey Hess, celebrates the best of what hip-hop has to offer and the lessons it can teach us about the ways we relate to each other across cultural, racial and social divides. read less
MusicMusic

Episodes

2021: 2020 Part 2
Jan 4 2022
2021: 2020 Part 2
Music Courtesy of Traum Diggs:"My Journal" by Traum Diggs.  Available on the Bandcamp Exclusive Deluxe edition of AudioBioGraphic.Our Spotify playlist:A Guest in the House Podcast Picks----------David Shanks, aka Traum Diggs, is an MC/writer/journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He began writing articles in 2005, contributing correspondent features for print and online publications and has participated in conferences and panels at several colleges and universities including Rider University and SUNY- Rockland. He has also contributed chapters in Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide; Expressive Writing: Classroom and Community; and St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture. His independent album releases include Jazz Hop, Major Journalism, and Jazz Hop II.   A more complete discography is available at traumdiggs.com .Social:traumdiggs.com IG:  @traumdiggsTwitter:  @traumdiggs Dr. Mickey Hess is Professor of English at Rider University and the author of A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop: How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be. With rapper and producer Buddha Monk, Mickey co-authored The Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard. His other books include Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory; Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music; and the edited collections Icons of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide.Social:mickeyhessTwitter:  @mickeyhess
Black Champion 10th Anniversary
Dec 7 2021
Black Champion 10th Anniversary
Music Courtesy of Traum Diggs:"Intro""Black Champion""On the Road Again"All music tracks featured in this episode are from Black Champion EP by Traum DiggsBlack Champion EP is available for free download on Bandcamp. Our Spotify playlist:A Guest in the House Podcast Picks----------David Shanks, aka Traum Diggs, is an MC/writer/journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He began writing articles in 2005, contributing correspondent features for print and online publications and has participated in conferences and panels at several colleges and universities including Rider University and SUNY- Rockland. He has also contributed chapters in Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide; Expressive Writing: Classroom and Community; and St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture. His independent album releases include Jazz Hop, Major Journalism, and Jazz Hop II.   A more complete discography is available at traumdiggs.com .Social:traumdiggs.com IG:  @traumdiggsTwitter:  @traumdiggs Dr. Mickey Hess is Professor of English at Rider University and the author of A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop: How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be. With rapper and producer Buddha Monk, Mickey co-authored The Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard. His other books include Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory; Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music; and the edited collections Icons of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide.Social:mickeyhessTwitter:  @mickeyhess
Verzuz
Oct 26 2021
Verzuz
Paying tribute:The Dr. Eugene Marsh Memorial Fund----------VERZUZ | TrillerVerz III (verzuztv.com) - Big Daddy Kane vs. KRS-ONE ----------Music Courtesy of Traum Diggs:"Born Alone" by Traum Diggs Available on AudioBioGraphic - Deluxe Bandcamp ExclusiveAlso available on AudioBioGraphic - EPOur Spotify playlist:A Guest in the House Podcast Picks----------David Shanks, aka Traum Diggs, is an MC/writer/journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He began writing articles in 2005, contributing correspondent features for print and online publications and has participated in conferences and panels at several colleges and universities including Rider University and SUNY- Rockland. He has also contributed chapters in Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide; Expressive Writing: Classroom and Community; and St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture. His independent album releases include Jazz Hop, Major Journalism, and Jazz Hop II.   A more complete discography is available at traumdiggs.com .Social:traumdiggs.com IG:  @traumdiggsTwitter:  @traumdiggs Dr. Mickey Hess is Professor of English at Rider University and the author of A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop: How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be. With rapper and producer Buddha Monk, Mickey co-authored The Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard. His other books include Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory; Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music; and the edited collections Icons of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide.Social:mickeyhessTwitter:  @mickeyhess
Great Rap Names
Oct 12 2021
Great Rap Names
Paying tribute:The Dr. Eugene Marsh Memorial Fund----------Music Courtesy of Traum Diggs:"Arabesque Film Sh@t" by Traum Diggs  Available on AudioBioGraphic - Deluxe Bandcamp ExclusiveAlso available on AudioBioGraphic - EPOur Spotify playlist:A Guest in the House Podcast Picks----------David Shanks, aka Traum Diggs, is an MC/writer/journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He began writing articles in 2005, contributing correspondent features for print and online publications and has participated in conferences and panels at several colleges and universities including Rider University and SUNY- Rockland. He has also contributed chapters in Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide; Expressive Writing: Classroom and Community; and St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture. His independent album releases include Jazz Hop, Major Journalism, and Jazz Hop II.   A more complete discography is available at traumdiggs.com .Social:traumdiggs.com IG:  @traumdiggsTwitter:  @traumdiggs Dr. Mickey Hess is Professor of English at Rider University and the author of A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop: How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be. With rapper and producer Buddha Monk, Mickey co-authored The Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard. His other books include Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory; Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music; and the edited collections Icons of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide.Social:mickeyhessTwitter:  @mickeyhess
End of Summer Playlist
Sep 28 2021
End of Summer Playlist
"Family Ties" by Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar • (video)----------Special Link: The Dr. Eugene Marsh Memorial Fund----------Music Courtesy of Traum Diggs:"Trauma Da Block Pro" by Traum DiggsOur Spotify playlist:A Guest in the House Podcast Picks----------David Shanks, aka Traum Diggs, is an MC/writer/journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He began writing articles in 2005, contributing correspondent features for print and online publications and has participated in conferences and panels at several colleges and universities including Rider University and SUNY- Rockland. He has also contributed chapters in Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide; Expressive Writing: Classroom and Community; and St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture. His independent album releases include Jazz Hop, Major Journalism, and Jazz Hop II.   A more complete discography is available at traumdiggs.com .Social:traumdiggs.com IG:  @traumdiggsTwitter:  @traumdiggs Dr. Mickey Hess is Professor of English at Rider University and the author of A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop: How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be. With rapper and producer Buddha Monk, Mickey co-authored The Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard. His other books include Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory; Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music; and the edited collections Icons of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide.Social:mickeyhessTwitter:  @mickeyhess
A Tribute to Biz Markie (and a little bit of summer break)
Aug 3 2021
A Tribute to Biz Markie (and a little bit of summer break)
Order the book here: Deep in the Dark with the Art: Conversations With The Creators Behind The Best Cover Art From the Wu-Tang Clan and Their Killa Beez AffiliatesLearn more about the More than Words organization.----------Music Courtesy of Traum Diggs:"Ice Cream Melts" by Traum DiggsOur Spotify playlist:A Guest in the House Podcast Picks----------David Shanks, aka Traum Diggs, is an MC/writer/journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He began writing articles in 2005, contributing correspondent features for print and online publications and has participated in conferences and panels at several colleges and universities including Rider University and SUNY- Rockland. He has also contributed chapters in Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide; Expressive Writing: Classroom and Community; and St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture. His independent album releases include Jazz Hop, Major Journalism, and Jazz Hop II.   A more complete discography is available at traumdiggs.com .Social:traumdiggs.com IG:  @traumdiggsTwitter:  @traumdiggs Dr. Mickey Hess is Professor of English at Rider University and the author of A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop: How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be. With rapper and producer Buddha Monk, Mickey co-authored The Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard. His other books include Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory; Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music; and the edited collections Icons of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide.Social:mickeyhessTwitter:  @mickeyhess
CRT pt.2 and Juneteenth
Jul 6 2021
CRT pt.2 and Juneteenth
Additional Resources:"Biden Signs Law Making Juneteenth a Federal Holiday," New York Times, June 17, 2021."The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth," National Museum of African American History and Culture, blog post.Media References:"Juneteenth," TV Episode, S1-E9, Atlanta, aired October 25, 2016."Juneteenth," TV Episode, S4-E1, Black-ish, aired October 3, 2017.----------Music Courtesy of Traum Diggs:"Sacks Fifth Avenue Flow" ft. Williz Freeman by Traum DiggsOur Spotify playlist:A Guest in the House Podcast Picks----------David Shanks, aka Traum Diggs, is an MC/writer/journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He began writing articles in 2005, contributing correspondent features for print and online publications and has participated in conferences and panels at several colleges and universities including Rider University and SUNY- Rockland. He has also contributed chapters in Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide; Expressive Writing: Classroom and Community; and St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture. His independent album releases include Jazz Hop, Major Journalism, and Jazz Hop II.   A more complete discography is available at traumdiggs.com .Social:traumdiggs.com IG:  @traumdiggsTwitter:  @traumdiggs Dr. Mickey Hess is Professor of English at Rider University and the author of A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop: How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be. With rapper and producer Buddha Monk, Mickey co-authored The Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard. His other books include Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory; Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music; and the edited collections Icons of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide.Social:mickeyhessTwitter:  @mickeyhess
The Boogeyman of Critical Race Theory
Jun 22 2021
The Boogeyman of Critical Race Theory
Additional Resources:"Whitmire: Alabama lawmaker wants to ban critical race theory, so I asked him what it is," AL.com, June 15, 2021. "How a Conservative Activist Invented the Conflict Over Critical Race Theory," The New Yorker, June 18, 2021. "Fox’s anti-“critical race theory” parents are also GOP activists," Media Matters for America, June 17, 2021. "What critical race theory is -- and isn't," CNN, May 10, 2021 (updated)."Nikole Hannah-Jones, a Mega-Donor, and the Future of Journalism," The Assembly, May 30, 2021."Pressure builds on UNC board to grant tenure to journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones," The Washington Post, May 26, 2021.Podcast Reference:"Clint Smith on the Importance of Critical Race Theory and His New Book, 'How the World Is Passed', " The Bakari Sellers Podcast, June 3, 2021. Social Media References: Michael Harriot tweetNikole Hannah-Jones tweet---------Music Courtesy of Traum Diggs:"Untold Stories" by Traum DiggsOur Spotify playlist:A Guest in the House Podcast Picks----------David Shanks, aka Traum Diggs, is an MC/writer/journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He began writing articles in 2005, contributing correspondent features for print and online publications and has participated in conferences and panels at several colleges and universities including Rider University and SUNY- Rockland. He has also contributed chapters in Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide; Expressive Writing: Classroom and Community; and St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture. His independent album releases include Jazz Hop, Major Journalism, and Jazz Hop II.   A more complete discography is available at traumdiggs.com .Social:traumdiggs.com IG:  @traumdiggsTwitter:  @traumdiggs Dr. Mickey Hess is Professor of English at Rider University and the author of A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop: How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be. With rapper and producer Buddha Monk, Mickey co-authored The Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard. His other books include Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory; Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music; and the edited collections Icons of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide.Social:mickeyhessTwitter:  @mickeyhess
Interview with Selwyn Jones, Uncle of George Floyd
Jun 8 2021
Interview with Selwyn Jones, Uncle of George Floyd
SELWYN JONES BIO Born in 1966 to sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South, Selwyn Miles Jones was the youngest of seventeen children. In the small town of Goldsboro, North Carolina, Selwyn, and his siblings toiled alongside their parents in the tobacco fields and endured the most desolate and harsh conditions imaginable. The poverty, disrespect, hatred and disenfranchisement Selwyn and his family experienced was unimaginable to most, yet commonplace for many Black farming families.Selwyn realized early on that sharecropping was yet another version of enslavement. His mother made sure to show her children that there was a better life out there for them and encouraged Selwyn to dream big. Selwyn was determined to leave through any means necessary. His athletic prowess provided him with his ticket out. Through a short but intense arena football career he was able to find financial solvency and fulfilled a childhood desire to purchase a home for his mother. Though life continued to be filled with challenges (Selwyn lost three close family members tragically, including both his parents) he went on to become a successful salesman, hotel owner and father with his dynamic wife Jodie. Then on May 25, 2020 Selwyn’s life was forever changed. While watching the news, along with the rest of the world, he witnessed the unmerciful murder of his 46-year-old nephew, George Floyd. “It was the most horrific thing that I ever witnessed in my life.” As George Floyd’s murder ignited the largest civil rights protest in US history, Selwyn Jones became an activist. Every day Selwyn commits to ending police brutality and systemic racism and bringing justice to his nephew’s senseless and cruel murder. Known affectionately as Uncle Selwyn Jones he promised “I will not let his death be in vain. I do not want my sons or anyone else to go through what my nephew endured for that 8 minutes 46 seconds. I want to be a beacon of light for those who face racism or adversity in this life.” He continues his personal growth by positively enhancing the lives of others in his work as a community & civil rights leader. Contact:justice4george846@gmail.comAdditional Resources:Visible Men: Black Fathers Talk About Losing Sons to Police Brutality | GQ Social:FacebookInstagramMedia inquiries:julia@coolbrandmedia.com ----------Music Courtesy of Traum Diggs:"Died in Vein" by Traum Diggs----------David Shanks, aka Traum Diggs, is an MC/writer/journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He began writing articles in 2005, contributing correspondent features for print and online publications and has participated in conferences and panels at several colleges and universities including Rider University and SUNY- Rockland. He has also contributed chapters in Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide; Expressive Writing: Classroom and Community; and St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture. His independent album releases include Jazz Hop, Major Journalism, and Jazz Hop II.   A more complete discography is available at traumdiggs.com .Social:traumdiggs.com IG:  @traumdiggsTwitter:  @traumdiggs Dr. Mickey Hess is Professor of English at Rider University and the author of A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop: How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be. With rapper and producer Buddha Monk, Mickey co-authored The Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard. His other books include Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory; Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music; and the edited collections Icons of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide.Social:mickeyhessTwitter:  @mickeyhess
A Tribute to Shock G
May 25 2021
A Tribute to Shock G
Shock G on Apple MusicDigital Underground on Apple Music"Super What?" by Czarface & MF DOOM----------Music Courtesy of Traum Diggs:"I Declare" by Traum Diggs Our Spotify playlist:A Guest in the House Podcast Picks----------David Shanks, aka Traum Diggs, is an MC/writer/journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He began writing articles in 2005, contributing correspondent features for print and online publications and has participated in conferences and panels at several colleges and universities including Rider University and SUNY- Rockland. He has also contributed chapters in Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide; Expressive Writing: Classroom and Community; and St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture. His independent album releases include Jazz Hop, Major Journalism, and Jazz Hop II.   A more complete discography is available at traumdiggs.com .Social:traumdiggs.com IG:  @traumdiggsTwitter:  @traumdiggs Dr. Mickey Hess is Professor of English at Rider University and the author of A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop: How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be. With rapper and producer Buddha Monk, Mickey co-authored The Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard. His other books include Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory; Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music; and the edited collections Icons of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide.Social:mickeyhessTwitter:  @mickeyhess
DOOM Redux
Apr 13 2021
DOOM Redux
Official MF DOOM merchandise site:  gasdrawls.comSongs highlighted in this episode:"Beef Rap" by MF DOOM"Final Hour" by King Geedorah"Meat Grinder" by Madvillain (Madlib and MF DOOM)"Lactose and Lecithin" by Viktor Vaughn"Fall Back / Titty Fat" by Viktor Vaughn"The Fine Print" by King Geedorah----------Show music Courtesy of Traum Diggs:"Love Thing" by Traum Diggs----------David Shanks, aka Traum Diggs, is an MC/writer/journalist from Brooklyn, NY. He began writing articles in 2005, contributing correspondent features for print and online publications and has participated in conferences and panels at several colleges and universities including Rider University and SUNY- Rockland. He has also contributed chapters in Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide; Expressive Writing: Classroom and Community; and St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture. His independent album releases include Jazz Hop, Major Journalism, and Jazz Hop II.   A more complete discography is available at traumdiggs.com .Social:traumdiggs.com IG:  @traumdiggsTwitter:  @traumdiggs Dr. Mickey Hess is Professor of English at Rider University and the author of A Guest in the House of Hip-Hop: How Rap Music Taught a Kid from Kentucky What a White Ally Should Be. With rapper and producer Buddha Monk, Mickey co-authored The Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard. His other books include Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory; Is Hip-Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Most Wanted Music; and the edited collections Icons of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide.Social:mickeyhessTwitter:  @mickeyhess