Title: Drop the Beat We Gettin Free
Description: Black and genderqueer Z Bell's poems narrate the author's journey of discovery with music. Themes in the zine are the exploitation of black music and queer culture by mainstream institutions, familial influences on art, defining authenticity in Rap and Hip- Hop, and music as self-care. Throughout the zine, lyrics of songs such as "Sweet Thing" by Rufus and Chaka Khan, "Shades of Grey" by Sick of Sarah, "Swing Life Away" by Rise Against, "Blunt Blowin'"by Lil Wayne, and more, are written on the pages. Visual elements include figure drawings that are twerking, the Jamaican flag, childhood photos, and headphones. The last page is a playlist of songs created by the author.
Subjects: Racism, Rap (Music), African Americans, Students, Barnard College
Places: United States
Time periods: 21st century