Hip Hop: Politics and Popular Culture in Late 20th Century United States

This course examines the development of hip-hop and its manifestations in the realm of music, visual art, fashion and language in the United States. The course starts with the antecedents of hip-hop and examines the development of African American musical traditions. The literary/poetic structure of hip-hop will be examined as well as the social/political implications of the art. The course also studies the emergence of rap music in New York City in the mid 1970s through its evolution into a billion dollar industry with wide reaching influence in movies, marketing and politics. The dynamics of race, youth, class and provincialism will be studied as well. The course will utilize various sources for analysis and information including videos, commercials, movies, songs and other multimedia.

The course is offered to help the student (1) understand the dynamics and implications of hip-hop music, politics and culture; (2) discuss, at a college-level proficiency, the contributions of various artists on hip-hop and the significance of the art form in the United States and abroad; (3) analyze the many ways in which hip-hop adapts to the changing political, regional and socio-economic circumstances out of which the art form develops.