Entries by Jeffrey Ian Ross

The “Hip-ocrisy” of  Streetwear

Hip Hop, an influential artistic, cultural, political, and social movement rooted in 1970s street culture, is associated with four key pillars: MCing (rapping), DJing, graffiti, and breakdancing. Hip hop has also fostered core values and principles that continue to shape its evolution and impact. These include: * The promotion of Expression and Authenticity * Enabling […]

Ways of Knowing the City

If you spend the majority of your waking hours inside, rarely go out, or hardly leave your neighborhood, then your life is going to be pretty dull and boring. But if you do venture outside of your familiar surroundings, then you’ll eventually have to decide how you’re going to get around town. Most people are […]

The Little Graffiti and Name-Writing Book Distributor and Publisher That Could

Since the dawn of contemporary graffiti (and later street art) there’s been a proliferation of hard copy and on-line publications on this subject. Some of the original hard copy efforts were zines; self-produced publications, resembling magazines, that were sold at independent book shops, or among graffiti writers and nerds. These creative efforts were generally not […]

Must Academic Criminologists Write Books?

A frequent debate exists in many academic fields regarding the best venues for publishing ones scholarship. In the field of Criminology and Criminal Justice, some criminologists wonder if is it better to conduct research, write, and publish a book in the field, or disseminate the findings from their efforts in the context of one or […]

What’s wrong with fixing it in the mix?

In 1997, jazz vocalist Kevin Mahogany (1958-2017) composed and performed a catchy melodic song titled “Fix It in the Mix.” Not only does the piece narrate the story of the challenges encountered during the recording of a song, but it also satirizes the music production process, highlighting a growing tendency (and perhaps an over-reliance) to […]