Week 4- From Television to Broadway: Hip-hop's Popular Invasion

This week we explored Hip-hop's influence on American media, film, television and theater practices. As you write about Hip-hop theater, film and commodification this week, what are some of the positive affects that Hip-hop has had on popular culture in these areas? How do you think Hip-hop is changing how we understand American identities?

Week 3- These are the Breaks: Remixing American Culture

This week were are exploring the ways that that DJ, Graffiti and B-Boy/Bgirl practices have shaped the culture Hip-hop. As you define the keywords Sampling, Graffiti,and Physical Graffiti, think about how each term informs the culture of Hip-hop. For example, how is sampling utilized across the elements Hip-hop? How has graffiti influenced DJ Culture? Begin to think about the intersection and overlap of the elements and how they engage Robin Kelley's notions of polyculturalism.

Week 2- Hip-hop"s Urban Griots: Spitting Rhymes of American Identity

This week, we discuss the art of MCing and battling and the ways that gender shapes the practices of Hip-hop MCs. MCing is a practice of oral storytellign linked to African griot/griotte traditions. As you blog on this weeks keywords, MCing, Gender and Battling, begin to think through the ways that particular themes reoccur in the oral narratives of MCs. How does place and gender shape the narratives and flows of the artists we explore? The following questions may help as writing prompts. How does gender shape the perspective of the MC? In what ways do women challenge the base of a male dominated art form? What type of skills does and MC need to be successful freestyler? How do Hip-hop storylines change based on the combination of race, gender and nation?

Week 1- Introduction to Hip-Hop in Popular Culture

This week, we were introduced to the four elements of Hip-hop ( MCing, Breaking, Graffiti and Djing), Hip-hop's relationship to Blackness/African American culture,and the ways in which different regions of the United States shape the sounds of Hip-hop music. As you blog on the key words this week (blackness and Hip-hop Regional sounds, think about the ways that Hip-hop complicates how we understand blackness. How are Hip-hop's regional sounds shaped by blackness? How do space, race and place intersect in the production of Hip-hop sounds and flows? (Blogger left this in draft and did not publish the prompt. Apologies for the confusion.)

Welcome of KU Hip-hop in Popular Culture, Summer 2012. In this shorter version of the Hip-hop in Popular Culture course, you will explore the broad influence of Hip-hop music on American popular culture. We will post weekly blog posts here about the key words we will explore over the next four weeks. Please sign in via google or other social media and begin to post your responses based on direction provided on the course syllabus. The course is fast a furious, so be ready to read, write and immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Hip-hop. Best- Professor NHP