UVA’s Dr. A.D. Carson Debuts Orchestral Hip-Hop Project “& metaphors” with Charlottesville Symphony
Charlottesville, VA — July 10, 2025 — This week marks the official release of “& metaphors”, a groundbreaking live orchestral-rap collaboration by Dr. A.D. Carson, Associate Professor of Hip-Hop and the Global South at the University of Virginia.
Commissioned by the Charlottesville Symphony as part of UVA’s 50th anniversary season, “& metaphors” originally premiered at UVA’s Old Cabell Hall on March 22, 2025, and is now available as a live album across all streaming platforms, including Bandcamp. The project features countertenor Patrick Dailey and sits alongside classical works by Mozart and Barber — creating a bold, genre-defying soundscape that confronts American identity, race, and power using Carson’s signature lyrical depth and scholarly insight.
“If ever the world needed a sonic disruption or reckoning, it's right now,” said Carson. “& metaphors is music for this moment. It’s medicinal as much as it is recreational.”
“& metaphors” is the latest in Carson’s series of mixtap/e/ssays — albums that blend memoir, theory, and cultural critique. His earlier works include Owning My Masters (his 2017 dissertation submitted as a rap album) and I used to love to dream (2020), the first peer-reviewed rap album published by an academic press. The latter won a 2021 PROSE Award and was a finalist for the 2024 Open Access Book Prize and Arcadia Open Access Publishing Award from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). His song, “Ohana,” reached the Top 10 on iTunes Reggae. His forthcoming book with Oxford University Press, Being Dope: Hip-Hop & Theory through Mixtape Memoir, will further explore how hip-hop operates as a vehicle for intellectual and artistic storytelling.
A full HD video of the world premiere of & metaphors is now available for media viewing here >
The live album will be released this week across all major streaming platforms and Dr. Carson is available for interviews to discuss his latest project.
About Dr. A.D. Carson
A native of Decatur, Illinois, Dr. A.D. Carson is a rapper, writer, and Associate Professor of Hip-Hop and the Global South at the University of Virginia. His work explores race, identity, history, and place through music, memoir, and critical scholarship.
He gained international recognition after submitting a 34-track rap album as his Ph.D. dissertation and has since continued to break new ground with a series of acclaimed mixtap/e/ssays.
Dr. Carson’s work has been featured by NPR, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, and SPIN, and his new book. Being Dope: Hip-Hop & Theory through Mixtape Memoir, will be published this fall by Oxford University Press.
About Manifest Greatness Media
Manifest Greatness Media is a full-service public relations and media representation firm specializing in elevating voices that bridge culture, scholarship, and activism. We are committed to amplifying thought leaders who challenge norms and inspire change.
For interview requests or more information, please contact
Tomika Anderson
Publicist, Manifest Greatness Media
Email: tomika@manifestgreatnessmedia.com
Phone: (646) 387-1865
Website: www.manifestgreatnessmedia.com