Hip Hop

Catalog description

This course will explore the history of hip hop from the earliest formations of the genre in the 1970s to the current moment. This course will have four primary areas of emphasis. First, although we will be interested in other elements of hip hop culture (including dancing, graffiti, literature, etc.), our primary focus will be on the music (the DJ, MC, and production techniques that go into producing hip hop tracks and albums). Second, this class will emphasize the development of the business and promotional aspects of hip hop. Hip hop has become a major business venture for recording studios, record labels, fashion venues, etc. and has had a huge impact on business in the US. Third, we will devote a large portion of our time to the developing technologies surrounding hip hop including turn tables, drum machines, MPCs, etc. Fourth and finally, we will explore the cultural and political impact hip hop has had on representations of Blackness, political views of violence and equity, and constructions of gender, race, and authenticity.