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Flyboy in the Buttermilk
Essays on Contemporary America
Pub Date
Apr 21 2026
| Archive Date
May 21 2026
Description
A reissue of Greg Tate's classic, out-of-print collection of essays, with a new introduction by Hanif Abdurraqib and a new foreword by Questlove.
From one of the most original, creative, and provocative culture critics comes an eye-opening collection of essays and tales about American music and culture.
Under the guise of writing about a single subject, Greg Tate’s essays in Flyboy in the Buttermilk branch out from his usual and explore social, pop cultural, political, and economic subjects. Taking on a wide diversity of topics—from the rise of hip-hop; the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat; the music of Miles Davis, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Bad Brains, and many others; to the crisis of the Black intellectual and the irony of the GOP recruiting Black Americans— Tate writes in a brave and distinctive voice that is angry, joyous, anxious, and funny.
In every piece of this collection, Tate offers informed insight into where America is going and why.
A reissue of Greg Tate's classic, out-of-print collection of essays, with a new introduction by Hanif Abdurraqib and a new foreword by Questlove.
From one of the most original, creative, and...
Description
A reissue of Greg Tate's classic, out-of-print collection of essays, with a new introduction by Hanif Abdurraqib and a new foreword by Questlove.
From one of the most original, creative, and provocative culture critics comes an eye-opening collection of essays and tales about American music and culture.
Under the guise of writing about a single subject, Greg Tate’s essays in Flyboy in the Buttermilk branch out from his usual and explore social, pop cultural, political, and economic subjects. Taking on a wide diversity of topics—from the rise of hip-hop; the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat; the music of Miles Davis, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Bad Brains, and many others; to the crisis of the Black intellectual and the irony of the GOP recruiting Black Americans— Tate writes in a brave and distinctive voice that is angry, joyous, anxious, and funny.
In every piece of this collection, Tate offers informed insight into where America is going and why.
A Note From the Publisher
Greg Tate (1957–2021) was a music and popular-culture critic and journalist whose work appeared in many publications, including The Village Voice, Vibe, Spin, The Wire, and Downbeat. He was the author of Flyboy in the Buttermilk: Essays on Contemporary America and Midnight Lightning: Jimi Hendrix and the Black Experience and the editor of Everything but the Burden: What White People Are Taking from Black Culture. He won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize in 2024 in recognition of his pioneering work. Tate, via guitar and baton, also led the conducted improvisation ensemble Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber, which toured internationally.
Greg Tate (1957–2021) was a music and popular-culture critic and journalist whose work appeared in many publications, including The Village Voice, Vibe, Spin, The Wire, and Downbeat. He was the...
A Note From the Publisher
Greg Tate (1957–2021) was a music and popular-culture critic and journalist whose work appeared in many publications, including The Village Voice, Vibe, Spin, The Wire, and Downbeat. He was the author of Flyboy in the Buttermilk: Essays on Contemporary America and Midnight Lightning: Jimi Hendrix and the Black Experience and the editor of Everything but the Burden: What White People Are Taking from Black Culture. He won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize in 2024 in recognition of his pioneering work. Tate, via guitar and baton, also led the conducted improvisation ensemble Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber, which toured internationally.
Available Editions
| EDITION |
Other Format |
| ISBN |
9780374394608 |
| PRICE |
$30.00 (USD)
|
| PAGES |
368
|
Available on NetGalley
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(EPUB)
NetGalley Shelf App
(EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
Send to Kobo (EPUB)
Download (EPUB)
Additional Information
Available Editions
| EDITION |
Other Format |
| ISBN |
9780374394608 |
| PRICE |
$30.00 (USD)
|
| PAGES |
368
|
Available on NetGalley
NetGalley Reader
(EPUB)
NetGalley Shelf App
(EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
Send to Kobo (EPUB)
Download (EPUB)
Average rating from 1 member
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 317847
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One of the greatest books on music ever. From a true OG. Cannot recommend this enough but have been doing so for years.
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5 stars