
The recently published
Bronx Biannual Issue No. 2 (
Akashic Books) is the sophomore publication in the ongoing new ten-part black literary series that was founded and is edited by Bronx born and bred hip-hop journalist//author
Miles Marshall Lewis. The 230-page collection boasts over a dozen talented hip-hop generation writers, both known and unknown, all carefully selected by Lewis who began his hip-hop journalism career back in the early nineties working on the first edition of
Vibe magazine as an intern. From there he worked his way up to become that magazine's editor. He has also been editor at
XXL and written for numerous publications including
LA Weekly,
Rolling Stone,
Village Voice, and
Essence.
A few years ago he published his first book
"Scars of the Soul Are Why Kids Wear Bandages When They Don't Have Bruises" and last year kicked off the
Bronx Biannual literary series.
I recently caught up with Miles, who splits his time between New York and Paris these days. I and also caught up with one of Bronx Biannual's contributors - noted hip-hop journalist and author
Michael A. Gonzales - who co-wrote the groundbreaking hip-hop book
Bring the Noise: A Guide: A Guide to Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture (Crown, 1991) and has written stories and reviews for
Spin, High Times, Mode, XXL, The Village Voice and
Entertainment Weekly. He penned the piece "
Blues For Sister Rose" in
Bronx Biannual No. 2.