Brown tracks the legend of Stagolee through variants of the song "Stack Lee"-from early ragtime versions to contemporary hip-hop renderings. He describes the influence of a legend bigger than literature, one whose transformation reflects changing views of black musical forms, and African Americans' altered attitudes toward black male identity
Delving into a subculture of St. Louis known as "Deep Morgan," Cecil Brown emerges with the facts behind the legend of "Stagolee" to unfold the mystery of Stack Lee and the incident that led to murder in 1895. An "Esquire" Best Book of 2003. (African-American Studies)
