Playlist: An Ode to Houston

By Akosua Asare
Rap Music Director

This semester, I took a course called sociology of popular music and found myself having to write a lot about my identity and how I’ve used music and certain artists to connect with parts of myself. One of the main things I wrote about in this class was the concept of the self through connections to home; how I have the inclination to listen to certain songs, artists and even a certain sound in music to reminisce on the feeling of being at home.

Houston is home for me. Being from Houston plays a large part in my tastes, the words I use in some casual conversations, my cool and the knowing of my worth. Now more than ever, I find myself needing to hear the sluggish crawl of Houston rap. Solange’s When I Get Home, Megan Thee Stallion, Z-Ro, Mike Jones, UGK, and all the other artists in the playlist’s music has been crucial to me for when I’ve been away from home for a bit. The music makes me miss Houston, but is so homey and such a reminder of self that I know I still have “it” with me at all times. 

Here is my ode to Houston:

Featured image by Akousa Asare.