Words Beats & Life Journal of Hip Hop Culture

Manuscript Submissions

Words Beats & Life Journal of Hip-Hop Culture
Volume 11, Issue 1: The Balancing Act: Teaching Hip-Hop Across Generations

We are a year away (2027) from hip-hop turning 54 years old. In 2027, hip-hop will have been in existence for 27 years in the 20th century and 27 years in the 21st century. This issue invites scholarly articles, interviews, reviews, essays, poetry and visual art on hip-hop music and culture that was created and/or has taken place in the 21st century. Our schools from kindergarten to college are primarily made up of youth from Generations Z and Alpha, and it is imperative the music and culture of their generations are explored and expressed as scholarship.

Manuscripts must be submitted online by Monday, April 6, 2026.

2026 Call For Papers

All manuscript submissions must be double spaced and submitted only as a Word document (.doc or .docx). Manuscripts should not exceed 10,000 words excluding the title page, abstract, biographical information, and references. All manuscripts should follow the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (8th edition) and include works cited and endnotes, not footnotes. 

Types of Manuscripts you can submit:

Scholarly Research Papers: 3,000 words (minimum) to 8,000 words (maximum) including the endnotes and reference list. All submissions designated as scholarly require an abstract that should not exceed 150 words in length. The abstract should be written in a manner so as to make clear the significant findings of the article to readers from across disciplines. All scholarly submissions should be accompanied by five key words. 

Scholarly Reviews: Books, albums and films. 1,000- 2,000 words maximum.

Interviews: 1,500 – 3,000 words maximum

Authors wishing to submit manuscripts below or exceeding these guidelines must consult with the editor-in-chief prior to submitting work. 

Poetry: Limited to no more than five poems at a time. You must create a separate submission for each poem. Maximum of ten poems by an author per calendar year. Additional poems (unless requested by the editor) will be automatically declined and returned.

Prose: Memoirs, narratives, fiction, etc. Limited to one manuscript per submission with 3,500 words maximum. Maximum of three submissions by an author each calendar year. Additional fiction submissions (unless requested by the editor) will be automatically declined and returned. You must create a separate submission for each prose manuscript. 

Artwork: 3-5 pieces should be submitted as low-resolution .jpg or PDF files. Artwork must include the following information: title of piece, year created, media, dimensions (in inches) and location of the piece.