Will Boone is an associate professor of English and Africana Studies at Winston-Salem State University, where he teaches courses on hip-hop, gender, popular culture, African American culture and African American literature. Originally from Orange, New Jersey, Boone received his Ph.D. in 2008 in African-American Studies from Temple University. His research interests include cultural and music criticism, cultural history, popular culture, and African American masculinity. Boone’s most recent research is entitled “Black Babe Ruths: Major League Baseball, Hip Hop Iconography and the Birth of the Uncool,” which examines the interface between Major League Baseball iconography, hip hop aesthetics and the decline of African American involvement in the sport of baseball. Boone has served as a consultant for Critical Mass Consulting Inc. and produces multimedia content for Afro Blew Media Inc.