Why Bushwick Bill Matters - A Discussion by Dr. Charles Hughes

Dr. Charles L. Hughes, director of the Lynne and Henry Turley Memphis Center at Rhodes College, conducts research, publishes articles, and gives talks on topics related to the recording industry of the U.S. South. Rolling Stone named his Country Soul: Making Music and Making Race in the American South one of the Best Music Books of 2015.
Now Hughes has published a new book, Why Bushwick Bill Matters, that he wrote for the University of Texas Press’ “Music Matters” series. Born Richard Shaw in Kingston, Jamaica, Bushwick Bill was a member of the Houston hip-hop trio Geto Boys who gained mainstream popularity in the late 1980s.
Born with dwarfism, he often rapped and talked about his height so people would not underestimate his abilities. In some performances, he spoofed the doll from the Child's Play movies, which Hughes says was a commentary on the cinematic and theatrical representation of short people.
In a webinar on Sept.13 at 6 p.m., Hughes discussed Bushwick Bill’s historical role in hip-hop and how his role relates to the longer histories of disability, race, and pop music.