I have vivid memories of the kids in my South Lansing neighborhood emulating our favorite West Coast rappers — we even dubbed ourselves “the Cooper Street Posse” in homage. Years later, at high school, their music was a contagion. Whether in the girls’ dorms or the academic hall of the prestigious suburban-Detroit boarding school I attended, we would readily burst into full chant Glee-meets-NWA style upon hearing someone muttering lyrics of whichever track had been ear-wormed itself into consciousness. (It must be noted that the “jock table” was the choice hangout spot for the black students and was situated directly across from the administrative office…call it a small measure of rebellion).
My musical leanings have changed, but those beats are encoded in my dna from every choreographed move (and misstep) of our 7th-grade dance routine for Something 2 Dance 2. So I’m repping my #LoveLansing roots with this Zen twist!
tscottmiller 