With a plethora of talent from 46 grandchildren, the legendary bluesman R.L. Burnside picked his grandson Cedric to be his apprentice. Together, they traveled the globe, introducing the world to a particular sound belonging to the Mississippi Hill Country and elevating Cedric to the international stage, where he is now considered one of the best drummers in the world. He lives in a married pair of double-wides in Holly Springs, MS, the fountainhead of Hill Country Blues, where he supports his family members and community from his earnings from international tours.

Born With It is Cedric’s story: The story of growing up where this unique combination of rhythm, unconventional song structures and something known as “the hypnotic boogie” were as much a part of the environment as the warm, damp air. A place with a music tradition that may have emerged from West Africa but became something intrinsic to Holly Springs. The blues, Cedric says, aren’t a lament. They aren’t a guilt trip about wrongs done. They’re a way to cope when life is hard, a way to rise above it and find peace.