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Austin McCoy

@austinmccoy.bsky.social

11K followers 1.8K following 1.1K posts

Historian, Old School Rap Specialist. Writing book on history of the Left in Midwest. Living in a DAISY Age: The Music, Culture, and World De La Soul Made arrives 1/27/26! https://austincmccoy.com/ https://austincmccoy.substack.com/

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · Jun 19

Very pleased to announce preorders for my forthcoming book, Living in the D.A.I.S.Y. Age: The Music, Culture, and World De La Soul Made (Atria/One Signal), is available wherever you buy your books. Coming out January 2026! The preorder link is in the comments.

I can't wait for you all to read!

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 6d

Today's class playlist. Starting with Toddy Tee's "Batterram."

youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Week 7: The Rise of West Coast/Gangsta Rap - YouTube

youtube.com

Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 6d

I told students if folks were offended by NWA’s “F- the Police,” then his criticisms of law enforcement on The Predator were more offensive.

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 6d

We talked about gangsta rap, the 1992 LA uprising, and Ice Cube in hip hop history today. I explained how Cube responded to police violence before the rebellion and after.

Picture of three Ice Cube CDs from left to right to bottom: Amerikkka’s Most Wanted, Death Certificate, and The Predator.

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 8d

I never knew there was a team "erase the boards when you come in." That just seems backwards to me

Reposted by Austin McCoy

Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 14d

I asked students in my hip hop history class to choose songs released before 2001 and analyze and contextualize them. I was kind of surprised to find that "If I Ruled the World" was the most chosen song.

Nas - If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) (Official HD Video) ft. Lauryn Hill

YouTube video by NasVEVO

youtu.be

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 14d

Yes! I'm glad you asked! Here are the song choices that surprised me:
Common - "Invocation"
Beastie Boys - "Shadrach"
KRS-One - "MCs Act Like They Don't Know"
Pete Rock and CL Smooth - "TROY"
Black Star - "Definition."

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 14d

Obviously, this song is worthy, but I thought I'd see more of the same Eminem, Dr. Dre, Tupac, or Snoop tracks. What is great is students discussed how Nas's song is utopian and it is about addressing racist policing and mass incarceration in the 1990s--two years after the passage of the Crime Bill.

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 14d

Nas - If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) (Official HD Video) ft. Lauryn Hill

YouTube video by NasVEVO

youtu.be

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 15d

One of the many reasons why we should have single payer.

(The distribution of COVID shots before all of the restrictions is an example of how single payer could work, which might be another reason for the elite opposition to them.)

She ended up with a bat in her mouth — and $21,000 in medical bills

Erica Kahn made two mistakes: One was skipping health insurance when she was laid off from her job. The other was screaming when a wild bat landed on her face.

wapo.st

Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 21d

Oh boy smh

Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 21d

Yeah, there's a lot of folks who need to pay attention to how reactionaries have already been criminalizing protest in FL, TX, and ATL.

and, as you've said, THERE'S A LONG HISTORY OF THIS GOING BACK TO JIM CROW, IF NOT ENSLAVEMENT.

Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 21d

This is especially the case if the Feds want to follow Atlanta's lead and start charging organizers and protesters with racketeering (and conspiracy). Just because the ATL case was dismissed won't stop the Feds from trying

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 21d

I tried to break it into parts, for easy reading bsky.app/profile/chan...

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 21d

Gonna say this very very very slowly

The main issue with putting your name on a protest list

is not whether the government has your name

It is you providing information about where you are/will be

That is *legally* actionable

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 22d

Also--I thought some of these institutions were going to refrain from making "political statements."

Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 22d

The "nothing to see here" tone from the authorities--not surprising, but still, like, wtf. A Black man hanging himself from a tree, in a public place, in Mississippi?

And the idea that folks should just trust the authorities on this ☠️

thegrio.com/2025/09/15/b...

Black student found hanging from tree at Delta State University

The body of 21-year-old Demartravion "Trey" Reed was discovered on Monday, prompting the university to cancel classes and campus activities.

thegrio.com

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 23d

The last several days have demonstrated that we need a stronger labor movement to protect worker’s free speech rights

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 26d

Just feels like a lot of folks are lying to themselves right now smh

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 28d

So a war to end slavery and another to end nazism isn’t “real violence”? lol okay, buddy

Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 28d

“If you think more violence…” I guess this person hasn’t heard about World War 2, or the Civil War, both fought to defeat fascism and racist authoritarianism

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 28d

And despite the fact both of them were gunned down, many folks living here never wanted to take what they said about living in an incredibly violent society seriously. Then, and now.

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · 28d

I mean this sincerely—Malcolm X tried to tell us something deeper about violence in our society in November 1963, as did MLK when he spoke out against the Vietnam War at Riverside in 1967. And folks got mad at them for their analysis…

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · Sep 7

👏👏👏

Bucks County Beacon @buckscountybeacon.com · Sep 7

Thousands Protest for a ‘Free DC’ on 4th Week of Trump’s Military Occupation of Washington | Protesters marched over 2 miles from Meridian Hill Park to Freedom Plaza near the White House to rail against National Guard troops and federal agents patrolling DC’s streets. READ: bit.ly/3JPLGcX

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · Sep 5

amazing

Reposted by Austin McCoy

Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · Sep 3

Some of you asked if I would make a playlist for my Hip Hop history class. Here it is! It's pretty long because I basically condensed all of my Spotify playlists and added more notable tracks.

youtube.com/playlist?lis...

HIST 493: History of Hip Hop in America - YouTube

youtube.com

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Austin McCoy @austinmccoy.bsky.social · Sep 4

Thanks! 🙏

Reposted by Austin McCoy

Laura Ansley @lmansley.bsky.social · Sep 3

Want to read about @austinmccoy.bsky.social's Hip Hop History class? He wrote about it for #AHAPerspectives last year: 🗃️

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