The Black Arts Movement's Influence on Appalachian Hip Hop with Eric Jordan

BLAC Re-Membering Podcast

On today's episode of the BLAC Re-Membering podcast, Narrative Fellow Marie Cochran and Eric Jordan discuss the interconnectedness of arts, culture, and identity in West Virginia, with a focus on the Jordan family legacy and its cultural impact upon the Affrilachian Arts Movement and the Norman Jordan African American Arts Academy.
Jordan shares his experiences and insights on the transformative effect of art camps on young artists. Cochran and Jordan share their perspectives on navigating political and social issues with empathy and understanding.
They both discuss the artistic significance of storytelling in Hip Hop music and its role in helping youth find their artistic voice and sense of community. Finally, Jordan announces the release of his solo album, "An Appalachian Hip Hop Story Part One" on June 10th and he promotes the August 2nd release of the "No Options" the Appalachian hip hop compilation album featuring various artists on which he also appears.
Meet Eric Jordan
Eric "Monstalung" Jordan was born in Cleveland Ohio, but raised in Ansted, and Morgantown WV. He has been performing since the age of 7, then as a percussionist during his father’s poetry performances, and later as an actor in his father’s plays. His father, Norman Jordan, is one of the leading African American poets of WV, and the Black Arts Movement in Cleveland OH during the 1960s. Eric is a lover of all music, but hip hop made an impact on him, and he started his first breakdance team in 1983 in Morgantown WV called the Robotic Atomic Foot Shockers. During this journey, there were highs and lows, but the experience was priceless. During that time he released 2 albums, became head music director at Fat Head Records, and worked with worldwide recording artist Father MC, Tekitha of WUTANG Clan, Loon of Bad Boy Records, and lived in Atlanta, Chicago, Washington DC, Seattle, and New York chasing his dream.
In 2001 he started working for West Virginia University in the Coal and Research department as a program coordinator until he shifted to the WVU Student Life department where he still currently works at the Center for Black Culture & Research. Jordan’s passion for the arts he inherited from his parents, and with them has been giving back to the WV community for over 35 years with the annual Norman Jordan African American Arts & Heritage Academy, a summer camp that focuses on teaching youth the different forms of the black arts.
In June 2024 "Monstalung" released his album An Appalachian Hip Hop Story Pt.1, and later in August he was featured on the Appalachian Hip Hop Compilation album “No Options” executive produced by Dr. Ted Olson, and Dr. William Turner, which is distributed on Appalshop Records. "Monstalung" also recently hosted a 100 Day’s in Appalachia email newsletter for the month of August 2024.
Resources and References

• Listen to Monstalung's New Album HERE.
• See all the podcasts, interviews, and articles featuring Monstalung HERE.
• Get Monstalung’s full music discography HERE.
• Norman Jordan African American Arts Academy
• WVU Center for Black Culture and Research

The mission of the Black Appalachian Coalition (BLAC) is to build a multi-state campaign that amplifies black voices, dismantles the colonized narrative of Appalachia, and uses story-based strategies and solutions that center the voices and lived experiences of Black Appalachians.
For more stories and information about The Black Appalachian Coalition please visit www.blackappalachiancoalition.org.