cheeseland - Blog

Wow. A hip hop legend – one of my musical heroes – has been referenced in connection to my novel, Cheeseland. How did this happen?

First, let me step back in time. The year is 1980, the same time when the first part of Cheeseland is set, and my ears are introduced to a new musical sound. The song, now a hip hop classic, is by a trio called The Sugarhill Gang. Back then we had these parties in the basement of a friend’s house in Chicago Heights, in the south ‘burbs of Chicago. We would drink. And we would dance. And this song by The Sugarhill Gang, Rapper’s Delight, became our party anthem. Here we were a bunch of white suburban teens dancing to a song that basically paved the way for rap music. I still have the original vinyl album stashed away in a box in my garage.

Now jump to today. About six months ago I am introduced to Cyrus Webb, host of BlogTalkRadio’s Conversations Live! He interviews me on his program and then in his Conversations Magazine writes one of my favorite reviews of Cheeseland. So I begin advertising on his program. He records a beautiful advertisement for the book.

Then I hear that two of the members of The Sugarhill Gang, Wonder Mike and Master Gee, are going to be on Cyrus’s radio show, promoting a new movie about their life, I Want My Name Back, and that my book ad would be featured during the interview with Wonder Mike, who opens Rapper’s Delight. I’m sure you can recite the words just like I can:

Now what you hear is not a test – I'm rappin to the beat

and me, the groove, and my friends are gonna try to move your feet

See I am Wonder Mike and I’d like to say hello

To the black, to the white, the red, and the brown, the purple and yellow.

So I'm listening to Cyrus’ interview with Wonder Mike this morning, and it’s fascinating. And then he takes a break and I hear the ad for my book, and I smile. This is pretty cool, I’m thinking. But then it gets better. Way better. When Cyrus returns to the air and when he is making the connection between Wonder Mike and Master Gee and all that they’ve been through over the years, he references Cheeseland and how it’s story of the friendship of two teen-age boys and all their trials and tribulations can be likened to the story of Wonder Mike and Master Gee. My mouth literally drops.

Life is full of surprises. Some are good and some are bad. Some are incredibly cool. This one fits into that incredibly cool category. You know that I’m going to be rappin’ to the beat all day long now.

Listen to internet radio with Cyrus Webb Presents on BlogTalkRadio