Intro to Rap Songwriting

This is an introductory production seminar in which students will explore various aspects of rap songwriting and performance. Over the course of the semester we will examine a range of poetic constructs, song structures, and storytelling approaches through deep listening sessions, class discussions, and lectures from invited guests. Creative assignments will be paired with materials that contextualize our work within the broader history of hip hop as a black cultural expression and locate certain songwriting trends within ongoing musico-cultural dialogues about authorship, race, gender, sexuality, and genre, among other topics. In lieu of a formal lab, there will be a minimum of four workshops per semester to provide a basic studio foundation for students without prior recording experience and a space for more advanced students to practice and share. Planning of these workshops will consider the group of enrolled students' schedules.