Austin McCoy
@austinmccoy.bsky.social
Historian, Old School Rap Specialist. Writing book on history of the Left in Midwest. Living in a DAISY Age: The Music, Culture, and World De La Soul Made arrives 1/27/26!
https://austincmccoy.com/
https://austincmccoy.substack.com/
https://austincmccoy.com/
https://austincmccoy.substack.com/
First review of Living in a DAISY Age is in! Amazing. I also did not anticipate all of the feelings I'd have after seeing the first response.
(Also, can't lie--I breathed a sigh of relief. haha)
From Publisher's Weekly.
Scan the QR code or follow the links below to preorder the book! Out 1/27/26
(Also, can't lie--I breathed a sigh of relief. haha)
From Publisher's Weekly.
Scan the QR code or follow the links below to preorder the book! Out 1/27/26
November 14, 2025 at 4:34 PM
First review of Living in a DAISY Age is in! Amazing. I also did not anticipate all of the feelings I'd have after seeing the first response.
(Also, can't lie--I breathed a sigh of relief. haha)
From Publisher's Weekly.
Scan the QR code or follow the links below to preorder the book! Out 1/27/26
(Also, can't lie--I breathed a sigh of relief. haha)
From Publisher's Weekly.
Scan the QR code or follow the links below to preorder the book! Out 1/27/26
Had a great conversation with a group of students in one of my friend's classes at Georgetown. I had a short lecture about my book planned, but it was all Q&A (my favorite!). We just talked about how the ways we listen to music have changed over time.
November 10, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Had a great conversation with a group of students in one of my friend's classes at Georgetown. I had a short lecture about my book planned, but it was all Q&A (my favorite!). We just talked about how the ways we listen to music have changed over time.
One of my students’ faces lit up when I mentioned Dr. Octagon in hip hop history, so I burned copies of the 1996 and 2018 albums for them because they’re also into physical media. They were happy to receive them! I told them they are some wild albums haha
November 6, 2025 at 7:30 PM
One of my students’ faces lit up when I mentioned Dr. Octagon in hip hop history, so I burned copies of the 1996 and 2018 albums for them because they’re also into physical media. They were happy to receive them! I told them they are some wild albums haha
When I talked about “underground” rap, I was talking about us who finally found a group of artists who reflected our attitudes about art. But I got to introduce them to Bahamadia, The Roots, Jurassic 5, Kool Keith/Dr. Octagon, Rawkus Records, and ended the class by playing some Big L (RIP).
November 4, 2025 at 9:56 PM
When I talked about “underground” rap, I was talking about us who finally found a group of artists who reflected our attitudes about art. But I got to introduce them to Bahamadia, The Roots, Jurassic 5, Kool Keith/Dr. Octagon, Rawkus Records, and ended the class by playing some Big L (RIP).
I told the students in my hip hop history class that there are some lectures I have to give because there’s information they need to know and then there are some lectures for me 😂
Well, today’s lecture was for me.
Well, today’s lecture was for me.
November 4, 2025 at 9:56 PM
I told the students in my hip hop history class that there are some lectures I have to give because there’s information they need to know and then there are some lectures for me 😂
Well, today’s lecture was for me.
Well, today’s lecture was for me.
Brought back my “rap wars” (“East v West”) timeline activity for my hip hop history class. I give students cards with people/groups, songs, albums, and events and ask them to find out how they’re related to all of the rap beefs of the mid-1990s.
October 30, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Brought back my “rap wars” (“East v West”) timeline activity for my hip hop history class. I give students cards with people/groups, songs, albums, and events and ask them to find out how they’re related to all of the rap beefs of the mid-1990s.
Went down a Beastie Boys rabbit hole last night while preparing for my moral/rap panic lecture for today. It’s funny how the first news article referenced the “Great Beastie Boys Cancellation.”
October 23, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Went down a Beastie Boys rabbit hole last night while preparing for my moral/rap panic lecture for today. It’s funny how the first news article referenced the “Great Beastie Boys Cancellation.”
We talked about gangsta rap, the 1992 LA uprising, and Ice Cube in hip hop history today. I explained how Cube responded to police violence before the rebellion and after.
October 2, 2025 at 4:56 PM
We talked about gangsta rap, the 1992 LA uprising, and Ice Cube in hip hop history today. I explained how Cube responded to police violence before the rebellion and after.
First day of the semester today. While it is my third time teaching the hip hop history class, it feels like I’ve been doing it forever. I decided to assign these albums for my hip hop history class. I hope I found a good compromise between albums and assigning songs from my class playlist.
August 21, 2025 at 1:43 PM
First day of the semester today. While it is my third time teaching the hip hop history class, it feels like I’ve been doing it forever. I decided to assign these albums for my hip hop history class. I hope I found a good compromise between albums and assigning songs from my class playlist.
Got my advance reader copies of Living in a DAISY Age yesterday! They look amazing! It’s hard to put into words how I feel holding a physical copy of my book 🤯
Preorder: www.simonandschuster.com/books/Living...
Preorder: www.simonandschuster.com/books/Living...
August 14, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Got my advance reader copies of Living in a DAISY Age yesterday! They look amazing! It’s hard to put into words how I feel holding a physical copy of my book 🤯
Preorder: www.simonandschuster.com/books/Living...
Preorder: www.simonandschuster.com/books/Living...
Coming next year! 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
August 7, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Coming next year! 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
Very pleased to announce preorders for my forthcoming book, Living in the D.A.I.S.Y. Age: The Music, Culture, and World De La Soul Made (Atria/One Signal), is available wherever you buy your books. Coming out January 2026! The preorder link is in the comments.
I can't wait for you all to read!
I can't wait for you all to read!
June 19, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Very pleased to announce preorders for my forthcoming book, Living in the D.A.I.S.Y. Age: The Music, Culture, and World De La Soul Made (Atria/One Signal), is available wherever you buy your books. Coming out January 2026! The preorder link is in the comments.
I can't wait for you all to read!
I can't wait for you all to read!
Amazing I found this yesterday. Nice for Father’s Day.
June 15, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Amazing I found this yesterday. Nice for Father’s Day.
I attended the Center for Black Culture's graduation celebration last night. It was awesome to celebrate all of the students and watch them receive their Kente cloth for graduation. I also received this award last night--such a nice surprise! It's such an honor!
May 15, 2025 at 4:45 PM
I attended the Center for Black Culture's graduation celebration last night. It was awesome to celebrate all of the students and watch them receive their Kente cloth for graduation. I also received this award last night--such a nice surprise! It's such an honor!
lol there’s nothing new about Capitalists trying to assert their dominance over labor, especially by weaponizing technology. Of course, organizing strong unions is the best defense against employers’ attempts to rollback workers’ power and to stop AI
May 13, 2025 at 1:29 PM
lol there’s nothing new about Capitalists trying to assert their dominance over labor, especially by weaponizing technology. Of course, organizing strong unions is the best defense against employers’ attempts to rollback workers’ power and to stop AI
After asking students in my civil rights class to create their organization, I’m asking them to design a political project (protest, campaign, etc) today!
April 16, 2025 at 3:33 PM
After asking students in my civil rights class to create their organization, I’m asking them to design a political project (protest, campaign, etc) today!
Peter Linebaugh attended an event I participated in at UMich last week and I love that he gave me a handwritten citation of one of his articles he suggested I read
April 14, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Peter Linebaugh attended an event I participated in at UMich last week and I love that he gave me a handwritten citation of one of his articles he suggested I read
Amazing. William Walter Scott, III’s memoir of the 1967 Detroit Rebellion is a valuable primary source. I was honored to write the foreword for the new edition. I cannot wait to assign it in my classes!
April 1, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Amazing. William Walter Scott, III’s memoir of the 1967 Detroit Rebellion is a valuable primary source. I was honored to write the foreword for the new edition. I cannot wait to assign it in my classes!
Discussing Orisanmi Burton’s book with a student today. It’s phenomenal
March 25, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Discussing Orisanmi Burton’s book with a student today. It’s phenomenal
I remember stumbling onto this Angela Davis newspaper photo a few years ago and I came back around to the context for it while prepping for a talk later this month
March 8, 2025 at 10:07 PM
I remember stumbling onto this Angela Davis newspaper photo a few years ago and I came back around to the context for it while prepping for a talk later this month
Cool to see the stand up for science protest on campus today
March 7, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Cool to see the stand up for science protest on campus today
King talking about the role dignity plays in why people decide to protest, sometimes against incredible odds
March 5, 2025 at 3:41 PM
King talking about the role dignity plays in why people decide to protest, sometimes against incredible odds
Really took advantage of Haymarket Brooks’s @haymarketbooks.org Black History Month sale 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
Will obviously be handing these out!
Will obviously be handing these out!
March 3, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Really took advantage of Haymarket Brooks’s @haymarketbooks.org Black History Month sale 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
Will obviously be handing these out!
Will obviously be handing these out!