The mythically obscure recording

Understanding who made the music I care about is as much a part of my archival process. [READER]( On Monday, Pitchfork published a terrific deep-dive on [archiving hip-hop's under-documented eras](. Writer Mosi Reeves captured the critical challenges that face anyone attempting to illuminate the unknown shadows of hip-hop's past. Simply finding the material can be a challenge; recordings can be destroyed in fires and floods, or their creators simply never thought to hold onto their work in the first place. And that's not to mention the financial challenges of properly archiving and digitizing old recordings. Beyond the time and labor that goes into digitizing a collection of old cassettes, properly storing such material can be a burden. It's difficult work, but absolutely essential for furthering our collective understanding of how hip-hop transformed into a global phenomenon. And how hip-hop transformed from region to region too. Among the most sought-after demos Reeves mentions in the story are those recorded by [Mental Giants]( the Chicago duo of Akbar and P-Lee. Even before they created Mental Giants in the late 1980s, the pair began recording practice sessions in P-Lee's Rogers Park bedroom, surrounded by his growing vinyl collection. Akbar told me this last month, when I interviewed him for the first time. I consider such conversations cause for celebration under ordinary circumstances. How often do any of us get to call up a person who laid the foundation for an underground art form in this city? But the reason I called up Akbar was a sad one; [P-Lee, born Parker Lee Williams, died]( December 8. This, too, underscores why I think music archival projects are so important, regardless of genre. Old hip-hop demo cassettes, [house pluggers]( and punk zines were made by people who live in the same zip codes as us and have grown since; these musicians and artists can not only reflect on the creation process of a mythically obscure recording, but how that work has played a role in their life in the ensuing decades. It's important to learn that from the source because it helps all of us get a better sense of how the broader culture in this city (and elsewhere) has evolved. I love writing about older acts not just because I can get a better sense of how their influence shaped the sound of a musical subgenre, but because it gives me the excuse to call up someone who made a piece of music I can't forget and learn more about the person who lit a spark in me. Understanding who made the music I care about is as much a part of my archival process. Reeves's story lit a spark in me too. I've got my own archival projects in various stages of completion. The work can't happen overnight—it usually takes me a couple hours to document and digitize a single cassette, never mind a much larger collection. And I've found it far too easy to keep such endeavors on the backburner while focusing on something a little more pressing—my weekly work deadlines, or a zine project I want to send to the printers in a few days. But this story gave me a nice boost to help me figure out how to get my various archiving projects back on track. And I hope some of the work that comes out of these projects can inspire someone else too. Sincerely, 🏆 Final voting for Best of Chicago opens on TODAY! Are you ready to vote for your faves? 📨 [Sign up for updates so you don’t miss out on celebrating the things you love]( in the city you love with the Reader! ["What Ace Hotel Chicago's closing means for Black millennials,"]( by Tonia Hill (The Triibe) ["The G.O.O.D., The Bad, and The Kanye,"]( by Alejandro Hernandez (Dro In The Wind) ["Drug Church Is A Job,"]( by David Anthony (Stereogum) KYWN, [Late Nights]( Fingy, [Taste Test]( Lemon Meringue Die, [nobody wouldn't see good things]( Zoetrope, [Metal Log Vol. 1]( We've wrapped up season one of CQN! Listen back on all ten episodes [here]( or wherever you get your podcasts. [From the Dan Clowes Collection]( Chicago Comics and Quimby’s acquired a stash of treasures from the lauded cartoonist’s adolescence. by [Megan Kirby]( [On the new W, Boris find serene sounds amid their continuous sonic explorations]( by [Dave Cantor]( [MAGA science]( Mayor Lightfoot and her health commissioner move to the right on COVID to win their fight with the CTU. by [Ben Joravsky]( [Issue of Jan 6 - Jan 19, 2022 Vol. 51, No.]( [Download Issue]( (PDF) [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2022 Chicago Reader Store, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616