The History, Literary Connections, and Social Relevance of Hip-Hop

Catalog description

3 Lecture Hour(s) 0 Lab Hour(s) This course focuses on the study of hip-hop as an artistic literary phenomenon which reflects elements of the Black experience and voices the concerns of a large and diverse segment of African-Americans in contemporary society. The following will be examined: the origins of hip-hop; the relationship of hip-hop to the oral literary tradition; the literary elements of hip-hop, as well as hip-hop’s connection to literary movements, such as the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement; the ability of hip-hop to articulate social ills as well as the concerns of urban and poor African-Americans; and significant hip-hop artists, their lyrics, performances, and impact.