Season 2–Episode 7–Santi Elijah Holley

Our chat with Portland journalist and music writer Santi Elijah Holley. We talk about his upcoming Bloomsbury 33 1/3 book, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Murder Ballads, as well as his book-in-progress on the Shakur family and the history of Black liberation movements. We also take a deep dive into the folk ballad “Stagger Lee.”

Talk:

Playlist:

Playlist setlist

Mississippi John Hurt: Stack O’ Lee

Lloyd Price: Stagger Lee

Snatch and the Poontangs: The Great Stack a Lee

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Stagger Lee

2Pac: Trapped

Gil-Scott Heron: Gun

Sister Rosetta Tharpe: This Train

Artwork:

René Magritte–The Therapist–1937