Back when the American recording industry expanded in the 1920s, our society was deeply segregated and shaped by systemic racism. Companies marketed records in separate “hillbilly” and “race” catalogs, drawing a color line through musical traditions that crossed it in real life. I think we all know what made the distinction there. But that distinction also means many songs that belong in the murder ballad tradition get classified only as blues, R&B, or hip-hop—until a white folk singer performs a similar story, at least.