That's the Joint: History of Hip Hop

Catalog description

While rock and roll redefined the landscape of popular music in the mid-20th century, no other popular music genre has shifted the scene more than hip-hop. Taking elements from many previous styles of music such as R&B, soul, disco, funk, and the talking blues, hip-hop defines music for the post-modern world. Built upon the consumer technology of the turntable and augmented with the advent of easily accessible samplers and drum machines, the music originally emphasized rhythmic components over which rapping, signifying, and toasting wove together. However, the music has continued to evolve. It has adopted various regional nuances and has crossed boundaries into other genres, adding to the complexity of its sound and message. By investigating the socio-cultural history of the mid-20th century, students will learn about the development of popular music since the dawn of rock and roll while looking specifically into the roots and evolution of hip-hop. Listening to rhythm and blues, soul, gospel, funk, and reggae will contribute to a deep awareness about the interconnectedness of these seemingly disparate genres of music. By approaching the content through the lens of aesthetic education, students will be expected to engage in conversation about not only the music but also surrounding cultural objects (documentaries, album art, photo essays, books, etc.)