Reflector Rockwell

While all of hip hop prizes authenticity, as Van Lathan put it in Filthy Slime Pt 1: “In street rap authenticity is more important than skill”. Today we dive into the ways that this genre’s prizing of authenticity has evolved to a point where some rappers aren’t just merely making artful commentary or provocations about gang life, but are using their lyrics to document and at times admit their involvement in serious crimes, including murder.
Here in the second installment of our deep dive into rap on trial, our guests Van Lathan and producer 4-IZE help us examine this cultural debate in the larger context of an evolution happening right now in rap music. We look at the role played by everything from social media to record labels, and try to grapple with what this means not only for Young Thug’s RICO case but for the future of artists living in high crime neighborhoods.
Special thanks to Prince Paul, Jason Kramer, Bill Donahoe, Kmele Foster, 4-IZE, Megan Phelps-Roper, and Van Lathan.
Music in this episode from Cobey Bienart and Peter Lalish
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Other links:
Van Lathan’s Higher Learning Podcast
Spotify Playlist of Songs in this episode
Check out 4-IZE's Music

Music has been a feature of American culture wars since at least the time of Elvis Presley’s gyrating dance moves on The Ed Sullivan show in 1956. But amidst all the moral panics about hip-shaking and backmasking, there is a legitimate and fascinating question about the role and influence that popular music plays on human behavior and on society more broadly. 
Today, we are publishing the first episode in our breakdown of the debate around Rap on Trial and what it says (and misses) about the role of music in culture. We begin in 1985 with Tipper Gore’s fight against Prince and the obscenity of 80’s rock music, then dive deep into the rapper Young Thug’s current RICO case in Atlanta Georgia and other cases where music is being brought into criminal trials.
Our goal, as always, is to try and understand this story and everyone involved in the best faith possible. Which, yes, means we are going to steel-man Tipper Gore, Young Thug and T.I. all in the same story.
To listen to Filthy Slime Part 2 right now: SUBSCRIBE
Special thanks to our guests, Billboard Magazine’s Bill Donahoe and Van Lathan from The Higher Learning Podcast. As well as Prince Paul, Jason Kramer, Kmele Foster, and Megan Phelps-Roper.
Music in this episode from Cobey Bienart and Peter Lalish
Email your feedback, criticisms and story suggestions to hello@reflector.show
We will read all feedback and respond in a future episode. 
Our website: reflector.show
Thank you to our sponsors. You can visit them here to learn more:
FIRE
GROUND.NEWS
Other links:
Van Lathan’s Higher Learning Podcast
Spotify Playlist of Songs in this episode

Why aren’t Americans embracing the most promising medications for treating over-drinking?
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Alcohol consumption increased more during the COVID-19 pandemic than it had at any time in the past 50 years. Even though bars were closed for weeks on end and fewer people were out on the road doing their daily commuting, Americans were drinking so much that from 2020 through 2021 there were approximately 178,000 alcohol-related deaths - which is more deaths than from all drug overdoses combined, including opioids. 
Yet, even as we return to 1960’s Mad Men era drinking habits - most Americans with a drinking problem never speak to their doctors about their drinking and less than 6% of them receive any form of treatment whatsoever. 12-step programs like Alcoholic Anonymous remain at the heart of a majority of American rehab programs, even though their “success rate” (which has historically been very hard to study) hovers around the single digits, while there are more effective medical options available. 
Why? 
On today’s episode, our friend Katie tells the story of her self-experimentation with the drug Naltrexone to combat her alcohol addiction and helps us grapple with why such medications are so rarely used to help problem drinkers in America. 
Our thanks to our guests: Addiction psychiatrist Dr. Mark Willenbring and journalist Gabrielle Glaser.
Music in this episode from Cobey Bienart and Peter Lalish
Email your feedback, criticisms and story suggestions to hello@reflector.show
We will read all feedback and respond in a future episode. 
Our website: reflector.show
Thank you to our sponsors. You can visit them here to learn more:
FIRE
GROUND.NEWS
Other links:
Glazer’s 2015 article in The Atlantic. 
Andy’s 2015 public radio story on addiction treatments.
Washington University’s National Survey Study. 
CDC’s study on recent alcohol-related deaths.
2014 NYTimes stories on how Naltrexone and other drugs are rarely used.
2021 NYTimes story on how things have not changed.
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