Topics in Recorded Music: TDE, SZA, Kendrick & the Power of Collectives

(2 Credits)

In our industry’s history, a select few record companies were more than mere mechanisms for the production and distribution of popular music. From early Atlantic, Motown, and Stax; to Philadelphia International; to Def Jam, SST, and Roc-a-Fella, some record labels have been artistic collectives of true believers with an aesthetic and cultural mission that altered the pop landscape. In this 7-week course, we explore one of the most impactful production collectives of the past two decades, Top Dawg Entertainment, founded in 2004 in Southern California by Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith; and which launched the careers of the singer SZA, the rappers Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul, and sound technicians MixedByAli and Sounwave. In so doing, TDE revitalized West Coast hip-hop and American R&B, creating a platform for a group of esoteric Black creators from marginalized communities that ended up not only dominating the pop charts, but scored a Pulitzer Prize. This class puts the work of TDE in the context of post civil-rights, post-9/11 and post-2008 economic crash pop culture and criticism. In particular, students can expect to address topics like: the rise of resurgent radical Black politics (Black Lives Matter, NFL football protest, etc.), the growing popularity of Black existentialism, as well as burgeoning interest in Black power aesthetics and other cultural initiatives. We’ll also look at TDE’s blending of past and present, specifically, how the group’s synthesis of ‘90s Los Angeles rap, Southern psych-rap and New York rap and R&B catered to older and younger listeners, music nerds and casual observers. We'll think about the larger context in which TDE’s music exists: that includes unpacking how its music has unfolded in different ways through the Bush, Obama and Trump presidencies; the 21st century impact of technology and social media on popular music; musical and sonic changes revolving around jazz, rap, soul, and electronic dance; and it includes thinking about TDE’s work in relation to the work of peers like Odd Future, Dr. Dre, Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, OutKast, the Roots, Drake, Kanye West, Common, Wu-Tang Clan, Three 6 Mafia and Jay-Z. Each session will include readings, listening, multimedia presentations and performances to help explore the music of TDE from a variety of perspectives.