University of Minnesota: Anthropology of Hip-Hop (3 credits)
Anth3980 lect 002 / Glos3900 sec 005: Tues/Thurs 11:15AM - !2:30PM, Blegen 155
Anthropology of Hip-Hop In a Global Perspective
Anth 3980/GloS3900
Fall 2006
Tues & Thurs 11:15 – 12:30pm
Blegen Hall 155
Instructor:
Melisa Rivière
Department of Anthropology
Institute for Global Studies
Office:
Office hours & location: Tues 12:45 – 2:00pm and by appointment
(387 Hubert H Humphrey Center/Anth TA office)
Email: rivi0001@umn.edu
Global Studies: 612.624.9007
Anthropology: 612.625.3400
Cell: 612.281.9970
Course Description:
The course covers the historical trajectory of hip-hop from its inception in the post-civil rights era of New York City during the fiscal crises of the 1970’s in the form of four elements - break dancing, rap, turntablism, and graffiti art - to its contemporary identity as a global youth phenomenon. The historical development of hip-hop is accompanied with the analysis of scholarly works ranging from contemporary academic research to old-school rap lyrics. Literature, lectures, legal cases, films and multi-media projects individually analyze each element and question the four-element paradigm that defines hip-hop today. The course looks at the role gender, class, and race play in the use of hip-hop as a tool for social change while simultaneously used as a corporate marketing device. The course aims to re-structure stereotypes and offer a deeper perspective into how hip-hop defines the identities of individuals as well as the consciousness of masses.
Readings:
Austin, Joe. 2001 Taking the Train: Youth, Urban Crisis, Graffiti. New York: Columbia University Press.
Chang, Jeff. 2005. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. St. Martin’s Press: New York.
Flores, Juan. 2000. From Bomba to Hip-Hop: Puerto Rican Culture and Latino Identity. New York: Columbia University Press..
Rose, Tricia. 1999. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Connecticut: Wesleyan University.
Required reading packet available at Paradigm Copies and E-Reserve.
Hip-Hop Workshop dates to be announced:
Hip-Hop Workshop I Graffiti Art: Chen
Hip-Hop Workshop II Turntablism: DJ Fundamentalist
Hip-Hop Workshop III Break dancing: B.Boy Daylight
Hip-Hop Workshop IV Rap/Lyricism: Desdamona
Hip-Hop Workshop V Beat boxing: Carnage
Tuesday Sept. 5
Introductions
SECT 1: Legendary Roots:
Thursday Sept. 7
Readings:
Ch. 1-3. Chang, Jeff. 2005. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. St. Martin’s Press: New York
Lecture:
The urban context
Film scenes from: Chalfant, Henry & Fecher, Rita. 1993. Flying Cut Sleeves. New York: Sleeping Dog Films.
Tuesday Sept. 12
Readings:
Ch 1 & 2. Rose, Tricia. 1999. “Voices from the Margins: Rap Music and Contemporary Black Cultural Production” & “All Aboard the Night Train: Flow, Layering, and Rupture in Postindustrial New York.” Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Connecticut: Wesleyan University.
Lecture:
Group discussion: Hip-Hop’s big bang: “Rapper’s Delight” vs. “The Message”
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
Thursday Sept. 14
Readings:
Ch 1 & 2. Austin, Joe. 2001 Taking the Train: Youth, Urban Crisis, Graffiti. New York: Columbia University Press.
Lecture:
Film: Chalfant, Henry and Silver, Tony.1984. Style Wars. New York: Plexifilms.
Tuesday Sept. 19
Readings:
Ch 3 – 5. Austin, Joe. 2001 Taking the Train: Youth, Urban Crisis, Graffiti. New York: Columbia University Press.
Lecture:
Film: Style Wars continued
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
SECT 2: “Hip-Hop!” the Four Elements and Pop Culture
Thursday Sept. 21
Readings:
Ch. 4-7. Chang, Jeff. 2005. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. St. Martin’s Press: New York
Lecture:
Film scenes from: Ahearn, Charlie. 1984. Wild Style. Los Angeles: Rhino Entertainment Company
Tuesday Sept. 26
Readings:
Ch. 8-10. Chang, Jeff. 2005. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. St. Martin’s Press: New York
McGuigan, Athleen and Uehling, Mark d., et. al. “Breaking Out: America Goes Dancing” In Newsweek. July 2, 1984,
Lecture:
Film scenes from:
Graffiti Rock
Lyne, Adriane. 1983. Flashdance. New York: Paramount Pictures.
Lathan, Stan.1984. Beat Street. New York: Orion Pictures.
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
Thursday Sept. 28
Readings:
Ch 2 & 3. Flores, Juan. From Bomba to Hip-Hop: Puerto Rican Culture and Latino Identity. New York: Columbia University Press. 2000.
Rivera, Raquel. 2003 “Enter the New York Ricans” In New York Ricans from the Hip-Hop Zone. Palgrave Macmillan: New York.
Lecture:
Film: ‘Israel.’2001. The Freshest Kids. California: Brotherhood Films.
Tuesday Oct. 3
Readings:
Ch 5. Flores, Juan. From Bomba to Hip-Hop: Puerto Rican Culture and Latino Identity. New York: Columbia University Press. 2000.
Lecture:
Film: The Freshest Kids Continued
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
Thursday Oct. 5
Ch 6. Flores, Juan. From Bomba to Hip-Hop: Puerto Rican Culture and Latino Identity. New York: Columbia University Press. 2000.
Hazzard-Donald, Katrina. 2004. “Dance in Hip-Hop Culture” In That’s the Joint: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony [ed.]. Routledge: New York
Lecture:
Bomba, Breakin, Pop Lockin’ and hip-hop dance
Film scenes from:
Banco Popular. de Puerto Rico. 2001. Raices. Paradiso Films.
Silberg, Joel. 1984. Breakin’ New York: MGM/UA and the Cannon Group
Firstenberg. 1984. David. Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo. MGM/UA
SECT 3: The New Revolution & Gangster Rap
Tuesday Oct. 10
ESSAY #1 DUE
Readings:
Ch 11 – 13. Chang, Jeff. 2005. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. St. Martin’s Press: New York.
Lecture:
Public Enemy #1
Anti-apartheid in South Africa and Sun City,
RUN-DMC at Live Aid
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
Thursday Oct. 12
Readings:
Ch 14 – 17. Chang, Jeff. 2005. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. St. Martin’s Press: New York.
Lecture:
Public Enemy, NWA, X-Clan, Queen Latifah
Tuesday Oct. 17
Readings:
Ch 4. Rose, Tricia. 1999. “Prophets of Rage: Rap Music and the Politics of Black Cultural Expression.” In Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Connecticut: Wesleyan University.
Lecture:
Group discussion: “Illegal Search” (LL Cool J) & “Who Protects Us from You?” (KRS-One)
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
Thursday Oct. 19
Readings:
Watts, Eric K. 2004. “An Exploration of Spectacular Consumption: Gangsta Rap as Cultural Commodity.” In That’s the Joint: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony [ed.]. Routledge: New York
Lecture:
The new gangsta: Murder Inc & 50 Cent
SECT 4: Rap on Trial
Tuesday Oct. 24
Readings:
Clark, Anne L. "As Nasty As They Wanna Be: Popular Music on Trial.” New York University Law Review. November 1990; 65 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 1481
Luke Records v. Navarro, No. 90-5508 , United States Court of Appeals For the Eleventh Circuit, 960 F.2d 134; 1992 U.S. App. Lexis 9592; 20 Media L. Rep. 1114; 6 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. C 532, May 7, 1992,
Lecture:
Group discussion: rap and the law
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
Thursday Oct. 26
Readings:
Davidson, Bill (The Estate Of) V. Time Warner, Inc., Tupac Amaru Shakur. 1992. Interscope Records, East West Records America, A Division Of Atlantic Recording Corporation Civil Action No. V-94-006
Lecture:
Film scenes from: QD3. 2006. Black and Blue: Legends of the Hip-Hop Cop. Image Entertainment.
Tuesday Oct. 31
Kahan, Jeffrey, B. “Bach, Beethoven and The (Home) Boys: Censoring Violent Rap Music in America.” In Southern California Law Review, University of Southern California, Sept. 1993.
Glassner, Barry. 2003. “Rap Music and the Culture of Fear.” Entertainment and Sports Lawyer. Spring issue. Vol. 21, n. 1.
Lecture:
Guest Speaker: Attorney Neal Eisenbraun, (Eisenbraun Law)
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
SECT 5: Racial Politics of Hip-Hop
Thursday Nov. 2
Readings:
Neal, Mark Anthony. 2004. “Post-Industrial Soul: Black Music at the Crossroads.” In That’s the Joint: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony [ed.]. Routledge: New York
Lecture:
Group discussion: Rap, legal liability and race
Tuesday Nov. 7
Readings:
Samuels, David. “The Rap on Rap: The ‘Black Music’ that Isn’t Either.” In That’s the Joint: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony [ed.]. Routledge: New York
Kitwana, Bakari. 2005. “The Cotton Club: Black-conscious hip-hop deals with an overwhelmingly white live audience. The Village voice, New York, June 24th,
Lecture:
Group Discussion: The Color of Hip-Hop
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
SECT 6: Turntablism & Production
Thursday Nov. 9
Readings:
Bartlett, Andrew. 2004 “Airshafts, Loudspeakers, and the Hip-Hop Sample: Context and African American Musical Aesthetics” In That’s the Joint: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony [ed.]. Routledge: New York.
Schumacher, Thomas, G. 2004 “This is a Sampling Sport: Digital Sampling, Rap Music, and the Law in Cultural Production” In That’s the Joint: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony [ed.]. Routledge: New York
Lecture:
Guest Speakers: Jake Rodriguez & Will Ways, Producers, Urban Grooves
Tuesday Nov. 14
Readings:
Ch 3. Rose, Tricia. 1999. “Soul Sonic” In Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Connecticut: Wesleyan University.
Lecture:
Film scenes from: Prey, Doug. 2001. Scratch. Palm Pictures.
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
SECT 7: Bling Bling: Hip-Hop Consumerism
Thursday Nov. 16
Readings:
Ch 18. Chang, Jeff. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. St. Martin’s Press: New York. 2005.
Lecture:
Run DMC’s “My Adidas” vs. Nelly’s “AirForce One”
Tuesday Nov. 21
ESSAY #2 DUE
Readings:
Negus, Keith. “The Business of Rap: Between the street and the Executive Suite.” In That’s the Joint: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony [ed.]. Routledge: New York
Lecture:
Group discussion: magazines, fashion, and the concept of “branding”
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
Thursday Nov. 23 – no class (Thanksgiving Holiday)
SECT 8: Gender & Sexuality
Tuesday Nov. 28
Readings:
Ch. 5. Rose, Tricia. 1999. “Bad Sistas: Black Women Rappers and Sexual Politics in Rap Music” In Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Connecticut: Wesleyan University.
Lecture:
Hip-Hop Herstory
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
Thursday Nov. 30
Readings:
Rivera, Raquel. 2003 “Butta Pecan Mamis.” In New York Ricans from the Hip-Hop Zone. Palgrave Macmillan: New York.
Lecture:
Guest Speakers: B-Girl Be
SECT 9: Global Hip-Hop
Tuesday Dec. 5
Readings:
Ch. 7. Flores, Juan. From Bomba to Hip-Hop: Puerto Rican Culture and Latino Identity. New York: Columbia University Press. 2000.
Kelly, Raegan. 2004. “Hip-Hop Chicano: A Separate but Parallel Story.” In That’s the Joint: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony [ed.]. Routledge: New York
Lecture:
A brief history of Reggaespañol, Spanish Rap and Reggaeton
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
Thursday Dec. 7
Readings:
Ch. 19. Chang, Jeff. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. St. Martin’s Press: New York. 2005.
Ch 8. Austin, Joe. 2001 Taking the Train: Youth, Urban Crisis, Graffiti. New York: Columbia University Press.
Lecture:
Hip-Hop Habana from the Reel
Tuesday Dec. 12 (last day of class)
Lecture:
Course conclusion, evaluations and summary
WEEKLY REACTION PAPER DUE
FINAL PAPER DUE WEDNESDAY DEC 20th AT NOON.
Assignments and grading:
Attendance 10%
Weekly reaction papers (2 pages) 10%
Workshop reaction paper (5 pages) 15%
Essay 1 (5-6 pages) 15%
Essay 2 (5-6 pages) 15%
Final paper (8-10 pages) 35%
Weekly reaction papers:
Every Tuesday you have the option to submit a weekly reaction paper for the previous week. These should consist of two page reactions to the readings, discussions, films and speakers when appropriate. Out of 13 possible weeks to submit reaction papers, 8 are required for full credit.
Workshop & workshop reaction paper:
Many times the theoretical education of hip-hop theory is not alternated with practice. I want you to not only learn about hip-hop from readings, lectures, discussion and films but also facilitate your ability to execute one of the primary elements of hip-hop. You may attend as many of the five workshops as you like, however you are required to attend at least one to pass the course. You will write a 5-page reaction paper about your experience as it relates to class readings and discussion. These reaction papers are due one week after the scheduled workshop.
Essay #1
Biography of a hip-hop pioneer
(5-6 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins, citations/references)
Due October 10.
Essay #2
Analysis of ‘gangsta’ rap and the law
(5-6 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins, citations/references)
Due November 14.
Final paper:
After Thanksgiving day weekend, on November 28th, you will receive two final essay questions from which you will need to select one to answer. Your response must be 8-10 pages, double-spaced in 12-point font. You will have three weeks to formulate your argument and review outlines or drafts.
The final paper is due on December 20th at noon.
**Assignment dates are non-negotiable with the exception of extraordinary circumstances such as a personal or family medical emergency (in which case official documentation to the effect must be provided). Should you have any concerns regarding academic or grade disputes, scholastic misconduct, or sexual harassment you may contact the Student Dispute Resolution Center (SDRC) located at 107 Eddy Hall, (625-5900).
Grading
University-wide grading standards, which will be adhered to, are as follows:
A - achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements
B - achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet course requirements
C - achievement that meets the course requirements in every respect
D - achievement that is worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course requirements
(Note: The A through D grading scale will be adjusted by a ‘+’ or ‘–’ notation, as appropriate)
S - achievement that is satisfactory, which is equivalent to a C- or better
F (or N) - Represents failure (or no credit) and signifies that the work was either (1) completed but at a level of achievement that is not worthy of credit or (2) was not completed and there was no agreement between the instructor and the student that the student would be awarded an I
I - (Incomplete) Assigned at the discretion of the instructor when, due to extraordinary circumstances, a student is prevented from completing the work of the course on time. Requires a written agreement between instructor and student
No curve will be applied.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism in any form will not be tolerated. Plagiarism entails use of previously published or unpublished works not of our own authorship utilized without citation or reference to original work. Students found engaging in plagiarism will receive a grade of ‘F’ in the course and will be reported to CLA. If you are unclear about the university’s definition of and policy on plagiarism, please consult the following website: http://cisw.cla.umn.edu/plagiarism.html
Suggested supplemental readings on Hip-Hop:
Ahearn, Charlie and Fricke, Jim.. Yes Yes Y’all: Oral History of Hip-Hop’s First Decade. New York: The Experience Music Project. 2002
Castleman, Craig. Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York. Massachusetts: MIT Press. 1982
Chalfant, Henry and Prigoff, James.1987 Spraycan Art. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc.
Cepeda, Raquel. 2004. And It Don’t Stop!: The Best American hip-Hop Journalism of the Last 25 Years. Faber and Faber:New York.
Cooper, Martha and Chalfant, Henry. 1984. Subway Art. New York: Henry Holtand Company Inc.
Haeger, Steven.1984 The Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music and Graffiti. New York: ST. Martin's Press.
Miller, Ivor Lynn. 1993 Aerosol Kingdom: The Indigenous Culture of the New York Subway. Connecticut: Yale University Thesis. UMI #1349354
Perkins, William Eric (ed.). 1996. Droppin’ Science: Critical Essays on Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Powers, Stephen. 1999. The Art of Getting Over: Graffiti at the Millenium. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Rivera, Raquel Z. 2003. New York Ricans from the Hip-Hop Zone. New York: Palgrave MacMillan
Rivière, Melisa and Austin, Joe. 2001. “Girls and Graffiti.” In Girlhood in American: An Encyclopedia. San Diego: ABC-Clio.
Rivière, Melisa. 2005. “The Dynamics of A Canvass: Graffiti and Aerosol Art.” In Public Art Review, Forecast, St. Paul. MN Fall/winter 05 v. 16, issue 34, n 3
Smidlapp and Phase 2.1996 Style: Writing From the Underground, (R)evolutions of Aerosol Linguistics. Italy: Stampa Alternativa in Association with IGTimes.
Stewart, Jack.1989 Subway Graffiti: An Aesthetic Study of Graffiti on the Subway System of New York City 1970-1978. New York: New York University. Dissertation. UMI #9004328.
Wimsatt, William Upski. 1994 Bomb the Suburbs. Chicago: The Subway and Elevated Press Co.
Anthropology of Hip-Hop in a Global Perspective © M.Rivière; 2006
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