In the seminar, we will examine the history and current state of hip hop and hip hop studies. During the first semester, we will look at history and forms with an eye toward their cultural and socioeconomic origins. This will include some time spent considering rap, but also time on the other hip hop expressions, which often go ignored by scholars whose primary interests are with texts. During the second semester, we’ll focus more on individual members’ research interests, which are broad and exciting. As an added bonus, the group will have access to visiting scholars through the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiative and may get to have some performance instruction from First Wave students.
