num_pages: 208
description: In 1989 the Geto Boys released a blistering track Size Aint Shit that paid tribute to the groups member Bushwick Bill. Born with dwarfism Bill was one of the few visibly disabled musicians to achieve widespread fame and one of the even fewer to address disability in a direct sustained manner. Initially hired as a dancer Bill became central to the Geto Boys as the Houston crew became one of hip-hops most important groups. Why Bushwick Bill Matters chronicles this crucial artist and explores what he reveals about the relationships among race sex and disability in pop music. Charles L. Hughes examines Bill's recordings and videos (both with the Geto Boys and solo) from the horror-comic persona of Chuckie to vulnerable verses in songs such as Mind Playing Tricks On Me to discuss his portrayals of dwarfism addiction and mental illness. Hughes also explores Bills importance to his era and to the longer history of disability in music. A complex figure Bill exposed the truths of a racist and ableist society even as his violent and provocative lyrics put him in the middle of debates over censorship and misogyny. Confrontational and controversial Bushwick Bill left a massive legacy as he rhymed and swaggered through an often-inaccessible world.
language: English
title: Why Bushwick Bill Matters
publisher: University of Texas Press