FWS: Hip-Hop’s Global Vibrations (NYC, LA, Southeast Asia)

3.0 credits · Undergraduate

From the Bronx to LA, hip-hop journeys from coast to coast and across oceans. What are the special analytical problems of hip-hop’s dissemination? How can we resolve the contradictions that arise when diasporic groups express themselves through hip-hop? This course is for students who are open to thinking critically about hip-hop’s contradictions while uplifting the culture’s beauty and imagining possibilities. We explore hip-hop’s pillars for answers (DJing, MCing, graffiti writing, breakdancing, and the pursuit of knowledge). We will listen to music, watch films, and read theoretical texts. Key authors include Jeff Chang, Paul Gilroy, and Michelle Wright; key artists: James Brown, Beat Junkies DJ crew, Triple Edge, and La Differénce. Writers will sharpen their skills to articulate strong, original arguments via five formal essays.