Topics in Recorded Music: The Hip-Hop/Jazz Continuum

(2 Credits)

On the surface, hip-hop and jazz might seem to be different genres, born of different histories. Jazz emerged in the 1920s and prioritizes traditional musicianship; hip-hop emerged in the 1970s and favors non-traditional approaches, such as its inaugural trope of two turntables and a microphone. But it’s more progressive to consider jazz and hip-hop as two interrelated personas of black music, connected by a shared interest in black aesthetics—including improvisation, flow, groove, vibe, antiphony/call and response, emotionalism/feeling and percussive attack. This unique course sheds a light on the ongoing and intertwined historical relationship between jazz and hip hop: early 70s artists like The Last Poets and Gil Scot Heron broke new group by conducting early prototype rapping over jazz grooves; by the late 1980s, intrepid hip-hoppers like Stetsasonic, Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and Public Enemy crafted original rhythm tracks drawing on jazz samples from the likes of Maceo Parker and Lonnie Liston Smith. The alternative hip hop movement known as Native Tongues—groups like ATCQ, De La Soul, Gang Starr, Black Sheep, and Digable Planets) forged new bohemian ground, toying with low-end rhythm and sonics. R&B visionaries of the 1990s like D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Slum Village and J Dilla, and Lauryn Hill fused R&B, soul, hip-hop aesthetics and jazz into a seamless ‘neo-soul’ movement, paving ground for today’s music leaders operating at the nexus of jazz and hip-hop like Anderson.Paak, Badbadnotgood, Robert Glasper (and his various bands), Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper. Each class is divided into two components: the first half of each session focuses on historical-critical studies about the relationship between jazz and hip-hop. While completing focused readings, and undertaking listening and viewing assignments, students investigate the social, cultural, musical and business aspects of the relationships between hip-hop and jazz. The second half focuses on musicianship, performance, composition and production. Listening closely to music and completing in-class and out-of-class assignments under careful mentorship, students investigate compositional and studio choices at the nexus of hip hop and jazz, and work collaboratively to create, refine and produce their own original musical works.