COMM/AFAM/AMST 148/248

Hiphop is a global phenomenon that influences social and cultural life far beyond the music and entertainment industries. As such, it is poised to make a lasting impression on our understanding of African American, Latino, working class and general American youth character, identity and culture. Yet beyond descriptions and critiques of its mass appeal, few have considered Hiphop’s development of standards and evaluations across all artistic areas and culture. Moreover, the consequences of an audience trained in the changing standards of Hiphop and charged with upholding them, has not been thoroughly explored. This course provides a critical examination of Hiphop in the US and its role as a communicative, linguistic, cultural, political and artistic resource. Hiphop America is taught from the perspective of cultural and linguistic anthropology. The main focus of the course is discourse, language and symbolism and the importance and development of critical evaluation and standards of assessment. Each lecture topic will include study questions and activities. The special topic for this year is: WOMEN IN HIPHOP.

1. Hiphop History and Culture

2. The Elements and Hiphop Standards

3. Ideology, Philosophy and Play

4. Discourse, Language and Symbolism

5. Space and Place: Represent, Recognize, Come Correct

6. Race, Class and Ethnicity

7. Gender and Sexuality

8. Politics, Social Consciousness and Spirituality

9. World Hiphop

All assignments will be posted on the Coursework and Hiphop Archive website (http://hiphoparchive.stanford.edu/). There will be guest speakers and activities throughout the semester.

Student grade evaluations will be based on the following:*

Participation in class discussion: 10% Students will review the readings and lead discussions for each week. Students may be as creative as they choose and should bring in examples from all aspects of hiphop to support their critiques and analyses.

Four response papers: 40% The purpose of the Response Paper (RP) is to identify major points of each reading and explore the relationship between other readings and the data we use in class. Since this course uses various theories to analyze how language and discourse construct and mediate identity, whenever possible all arguments about identity should be developed within a theory about linguistic and discursive activities. The RP is not a summary of the reading but rather an attempt to consider critical points in more detail, especially in relation to data. The RP is viewed as part of the general discussion and is collected at the end of each class and returned the following week.

Notebook Assignment: 20% The purpose of the notebook is to develop hands-on experience of some of the issues, ideas and considerations involved in being a hiphop artist and long term participant. The Notebook is loosely based on the Piece Books used for graffiti and is our version of a hiphop journal. There will be weekly assignments and you will be required to attend and report on at least one hiphop event. (First Notebook Review is due midterm. Final Notebook Review is due the last day of class.)

Final project: 30% Your final project is designed to incorporate theories and culture in a way that: (1) critically explores the role of women in Hiphop, (2) how Hiphop linguistics and discourse in addressing social, cultural and artistic issues or (3) illustrates several elements of hip hop culture. Students may work in groups of up to 4 people. The final project includes (1) a written report, and (2) an in-class presentation in any medium.

Extra Credit Research Project: In consultation with the instructor or TA, students will conduct an ethnographic and field survey of regional hiphop lexicon (Hiphop Lx). Students will collect and define words and expressions from a region and develop definitions, etymology, etc. This is a groundbreaking project. The work that will be published on: www.hiphoparchive.org/lx.

The course website includes readings, all assignments as well as topic suggestions, important links, music, art and video (when available). Guidelines for response papers are also available on the course website.

*(Graduate students will have additional requirements on coursework COMM/AFAM/AMST 248.)

Texts and Readings:

The following texts provide an overview of Hiphop and discussion of language, cultural and artistic influences. They are available in the bookstore and on reserve in Stanford’s library and at the Hiphop Archive (McClatchy Hall 101B).

Required Readings:

Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony, eds. That’s the Joint! The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. New York and London: Routledge, 2004.

Morgan, Joan. When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: My Life as a Hip-Hop Journalist. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1999.

Perry, Imani. Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop. Durham and London, Duke University Press, 2004.

Pough, Gwendolyn D. Check it While I Wreck It: Black Womanhood, Hip-Hop Culture, and the Public Sphere. Boston, Mass: Northeastern University Press, 2004.

Richardson, Elaine. Hiphop Literacies. Routledge: New York & London. 2006

Recommended Readings:

Chang, Jeff. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-hop Generation. New York: St Martin Press. 2005

George, Nelson. Hip Hop America. New York: Viking. 1998

Keyes, Cheryl L. Rap Music and Street Consciousness. Urbana and Chicago, University of Illinois Press, 2002.

Rose, Tricia. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1994.

Weekly Assignments

Hiphop History and Culture

Week 1

General review of Hiphop and readings and discussion concerning the main elements of Hiphop: writing/art, deejaying, dancing, knowledge producing and MCing.

Readings:

Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony: Part I (Pp. 9-56)

Rose, Tricia: Chapters 1 & 2

Pough, Gwendolyn Chapter 1 (Pp. 3- 40)

Perry, Imani Chapter 1 (Pp. 9-37)

The Elements and Hiphop Standards

Week 2

The artistic aspects of hiphop are referred to as the elements. They include Mcing, Djing graffiti writing and b-boy/b-girl dance. The audience and critic evaluate artists according to their skill level. Friendly yet fierce battles concerning criteria of evaluation and facts are often waged between critic, often in the presence of hearers, willing audiences and passersby who acknowledge the victor at every turn.

Keyes, Cheryl L. (Part I

Perry, Imani Chapter 2 (Pp. 38-57)

Pough, Gwendolyn Chapter 2 (Pp. 41-74)

Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony, Part II (Pp. 13-154)

Morgan, Marcyliena Chapter 3 (Pp 70-111)

Ideology, Philosophy and Play

Week 3 Response Paper # 1 Due Wednesday

Morgan, Marcyliena Chapter 1 (Pp 31-69)

Darby, Derrick and Tommie Shelby. 2005. Hip-Hop & Philosophy: Rhyme 2 Reason (Introduction)

Perry, Imani Chapters 3 & 4 (Pp. 58-116)

Kelley, Robin D. G. 1997. Yo' Mama's dysfunctional! - Fighting the Culture Wars in Urban America. Boston: Beacon Press. (Pp. 43-77)

Pough, Gwendolyn Chapter 1 (Pp. 75-102)

Discourse, Language and Symbolism

Week 4

This week focuses on representation, discourse and linguistics including various language and emcee styles and trends.

Butler, Todd. 1995. Exploring the Antilanguage of Gangster Rap. SECOL Review 19:1-24.

Potter, Russell.1995. Spectacular Vernaculars: Hip Hop and the Politics of Postmodernism. New York: State Univ. of New York Press. Chapters 2 and 3 (Pp. 55-106)

Smitherman, Geneva. 2000. Talkin' That Talk: Language, Culture and Education in African America. London: Routledge. (Part III)

Richardson, Elaine – Chapters 1 & 2

Space and Place: Represent, Recognize, Come Correct

Week 5 Response Paper # 2 Due Wednesday

This week is concerned with how one establishes place and association with a neighborhood, region, nation, group, crew, etc.

Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony Part III

McDowell, Linda. 1999. “Community, City and Locality” In Gender, Identity & Place: Understanding Feminist Gepgraphies, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Pp. 96-122

Alim, Samy H. 2004. Hip Hop Nation Language. In Edward Finnegan and John. R. Rickford (eds.) Language in the USA: Themes for the Twenty-first Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Pp. 387-411)

Rampton, Ben. 1998. Language Crossing and the Redefinition of Reality. In Auer, Peter, ed. 1998. Code-Switching in Conversation: Language, Interaction and Identity. London: Routledge (Pages 290-317).

Pough, Gwendolyn Chapter 4-7 (103-222)

Race, Class, and Ethnicity

Week 6 Notebook Due Wednesday

Perry, Imani Chapter 5 (Pp. 117-154)

Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony, eds. Part 3 (Pp. 159-246)

Jenkins, Sacha, Elliott Wilson, Chairman Mao, Gabriel Alvarez and Brent Rollins. 1999. “Lyrics” Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists. New York: Ego Trip Publications. (Pp. 140-155 and 266-277)

Kitwana, Bakari. 2005. Why White Kids Love Hip Hop: Wankstas, Wiggers, Wannabes, and the New Reality of Race in America. New York: Perseus Books. (Pp. 1-12, 81-107)

Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony Part VI

Gender and Sexuality

Week 7

The representation and arguments regarding feminism and the role of women will be discussed. Several artists will be discussed in detail regarding the mediation and negotiation of Hiphop skills, feminism, identity and sexuality

Lorde, Audre. “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic of Power”. In Writing on the Body” Female Embodiment and Feminist Theory eds. Katie Conboy, Nadia Medina and Sarah Stanbury. New York: Columbia University Press. Pp. 277-282.

Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony, eds. Part IV (Pp. 247-306)

Perry, Imani Chapter 6 (Pp. 155-190)

Morgan, Marcyliena Chapter 5 (Pp 179-220)

Rose, Tricia: Chapter 3 (Pp. 146-183)

Morgan, Joan: All

Richardson, Elaine – Chapters 3&4

Politics, Social Consciousness and Spirituality

Week 8 Response Paper # 3 Due Wednesday

This week focuses on representations of nationalism, religious influences and Marxism and some of the movements and organizations that educate, politicize and organize through Hiphop culture.

Dawson, Michael C. 2001. Black Visions: The Roots of Contemporary African-American Political Ideologies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (Pages 1-43)

Miyakawa, Felicia 2005. Five Percenter Rap: God Hop’s Music, Message and Black Muslim Mission Chapter 3 Pp. 41-72).

Perry, Imani Chapter 7 (Pp. 191 - 204)

Forman, Murray and Neal, Mark Anthony, eds. Part V (Pp. 307-388)

Pinn, Anthony, Ed. Noise and Spirit: The Religious and Spiritual Sensibilities of Rap Music. New York: New York University Press, 2003. pgs. 1-26.

Chang, Jeff 2005“Things Fall Apart: The Rise of the Post- Civil Rights Era.” Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation. New York: St. Martin's Press. (Pp. 215-230)

World Hiphop

Week 9

Decker, Jeffrey Louis. 1994. “The State of Rap: Time and Place in Hiphop Nationalism”. In Microphone Fiends: Youth Music & Youth Culture (eds.) Andrew Ross & Tricia Rose. New York & London: Routledge Pp. 99-121.

Gilroy, Paul. 1993. Small Acts. London: Serpent’s Tail. (Pp.192-207)

Jenkins, Sacha, Elliott Wilson, Chairman Mao, Gabriel Alvarez and Brent Rollins. 1999. “Lyrics” Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists. New York: Ego Trip Publications. (Pp. 34-47)

Richardson, Elaine – Chapter 5

Alim, H. Samy. 2006. “Verbal Mujahadin in the Transglobal Hip Hop Ummar: Islam, Discursive Struggle, and the Weapons of Mass Culture” In Roc the Mic Right: The Language of Hip Hop Culture. New York: Routledge(Pp. 20 – 50)