808s & Otherworlds

808s & Otherworlds: Memories, Remixes, & Mythologies announces a bold and incendiary new voice in Sean Avery Medlin. Against the backdrop of the Phoenix suburbs where they were raised, Medlin interrogates the effects of media misrepresentation on the performance of Black masculinity. Through storytelling rhymes and vulnerable narratives in conversation with both contemporary Hip-Hop culture and systemic anti-Blackness, 808s & Otherworlds pieces together a speculative reality where Blackfolk are simultaneously superhuman and dehumanized.

From the gut-wrenchingly real stories of young lovers unmythed by segregation or former classmates appropriating Black culture, to the fantastic settings of Hip-Hop songs and comic characters, Medlin weaves a tapestry of worlds and otherworlds while composing a love letter to family and self, told to an undeniably energetic beat.

"Whether they are writing about their suburban upbringing in Phoenix, their favorite performers, love or the omissions of Black contributions to America, what Medlin leaves is a work whose words will reverberate long after you put the book down. Their words can be as uplifting as they are poignant, as reflective as they are inspiring. This is shorter, intense fare that should find its way into your backpack."
—Edward Banchs, Pittsburgh Post Gazette

"808s and Otherworlds gives a voice to queer Black rap enthusiasts. Poet, essayist and artist Sean Avery Medlin puts verses from their 2018 album Skinnyblk in six 'records' about cultural appropriation, interracial relationships, and their contemplation of Black masculinity. Harkening back to their childhood origins of Phoenix, Arizona, where Black children were few and far between, Medlin transcends space and time by putting their lived experiences to a Hip-Hop beat. Medlin’s conversation with Hip-Hop culture is vast, respecting the unflinching spirit of Southern trap music and even critiquing Kanye West’s infamous 'slavery sounds like a choice' remark."
—Jaelani Turner-Williams, Teen Vogue

"I’m a sucker for a book of essays on culture, but finding fresh takes is rough. So don’t sleep on the unpredictable 808s & Otherworlds… an elegant mash of memoir, poetry, tales of appropriation, thoughts on Black masculinity, Hulk, Kanye."
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune

"808s & Otherworlds: Memories, Remixes, & Mythologies purrs with variety and energy, with riffs on Black masculinity, anime, gaming, rap, gender identity, and dislocation in Phoenix’s western suburbs. The drum machine in the title (the Roland TR-808) is a perfect tease to the rhythm of Medlin’s words rendered in prose."
—Michelle Beaver, The Los Angeles Review of Books

"Sean Avery Medlin deals with the edicts of the misrepresentation and performance of Black masculinity in media. Their stories are told through rhymes and narratives and explore vulnerable topics such as systemic anti-Blackness through the lens of contemporary Hip Hop culture."
—Bella Morais, The RootSean Avery Medlin (he/they) is a gamer and Hip-Hop nerd, whose only wish in this world is to watch an unproblematic Black sci-fi T.V. show. Till then, Medlin teaches creative writing and guides cultural work for organizations across the U.S., while also creating rap, poetry, prose, and performance. Their music, literature, and theater all question the limits of Black masculinity, media (mis)representation, and personal narrative.

Medlin has shared stages with Saul Williams, J. Ivy, and Lemon Andersen. Their work’s been featured in Afropunk, Blavity, the 2018–2019 Chicago Hip-Hop Theater Festival, and the 2020 Tucson Poetry Festival. Their Hip-Hop play and album, skinnyblk, along with all their previous work, is available online at superseanavery.com. 808s & Otherworlds: Memories, Remixes, & Mythologies is Medlin’s debut collection.