ENGL 236 - Hip Hop Literature & Culture

Credit(s): 3
3 hours lecture, 3 hours contact
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 112 or ENGL 192/HONR 192
This course introduces students to hip hop culture by examining some of the major concepts and political issues that shape the culture. Hip hop is a global phenomenon. It started as a form of black expression in the Bronx, NY and has morphed into an international, multicultural powerhouse. Through listening to hip hop music, analyzing lyrics, reading articles, and watching documentaries, students will learn more about the themes and debates within the culture. This course will take a cultural studies approach to studying hip hop and will consider the history and politics of New York City in the 1960s-70s, as this is crucial to understanding hip hop’s birth, as well as the connection amongst space, power, inequality, and racial dynamics.