Posted on May 10 2021
Compiled by Ali Harford
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The Hip-Hop Map Project is a project that uses cartography to “tell the story of classic hip-hop songs and moments.” This map, “Hoods Represented by Lil John & the East Side Boyz,” shows cities and states featured in the song “Throw it Up.” The cartographer argues that this song “embodies [Lil John’s] influence on the rest of the game.” The map, and this project, is a reminder that culture is deeply rooted in geography, and that stories can be mapped just as easily as data can.
Other Cartographies is a digital archive project that publishes the histories of and work by women mapmakers. I loved reading through these stories because it reminds me that cartographers are both practical people—many of these women were employed during wars, when demand for maps was high—and artistic people; all of our maps need a bit of both. And, of course, it’s important to remember who we’re leaving out of the story when map-making.
The “urhere” podcast is a clever podcast by map-makers Gretchen Peterson and Vanessa Knoppke-Wetzel. They’ve explored the stories of maps like video game maps, natural resources maps, and garden maps. The podcast is meant to help people “understand more about the maps they see every day.” There are new episodes every Wednesday.
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