He stormed into my office above the recording studio, waving his arms like dazed pelican trying to take flight.

“I’ve got it!” He declared, coming rest on the other side of my desk.

I raised my eyebrow and slid out the drawer where I kept my pepper spray. “Got what?”

“The next big sound! Bigger than rock! Bigger than roll! I’m talkin’ ‘bout streamcrunk, yo!” He paused, expectant that I would immediately understand what he was saying. I didn’t, so he continued. “Yeah, like that steampunk stuff that’s all over the Internet, but crunk. We’ll dress up in wigs and waistcoats and travel by zeppelins.”

“Isn’t that what Lord T and Eloise have done for years?” I interjected. “You’re going to conceptually burgle one of the most well known hip-hop acts in the city?””

“Nah, man, steamcrunk ain’t like that! It’s different! They rap about being rich and from space and stuff. We’ll rap about Jules Verne and clockwork and steam engines and shit.”

“So, you don’t actually have a new musical style – you’re just putting old stuff in a new wrapper?”

“Cosplayers will love us.”

“I’m sure they will.” I said, as I went for my pepper spray.

Memphis Note
Lord T and Eloise are a Memphis hip-hop group that claim to be travelers in time and space sent to save rap music. They’re known for their outlandish costumes and stage shows, and for bringing the city’s hip-hop scene to a large white audience. Think Elvis, but for rap, and in a powdered wig and gold body paint.