MUS 360 Fall 2012
Hip-Hop Music:
History, Culture, Aesthetics
Professor Loren Kajikawa Office Location: 205 Collier House
Location: 123 Pacific Office Hours: MW 1:30-2:30 MW 12:00-1:20p.m.
Discussion Leaders
Julianne Graper Jacob Mariani
Office Location: 3 Collier House Office Location: 3 Collier House
Office Hours: Mondays, 3-4 Office Hours: TBA
Course Description and Objectives
In the last thirty years, hip hop has gone from underground music to global phenomenon. This course examines the history and stylistic evolution of hip hop/rap music in a variety of social contexts—from Bronx streets to Madison Avenue and beyond. We will emphasize both artistic and political dimensions of the music. We will analyze aesthetics—the selection of particular sounds, rhythms, and images—and we will pay attention to how these choices relate to broader cultural and social concerns. Through this course, students will gain a better understanding of U.S. history, racial politics, technology, the recording industry, and of course hip hop itself.
While no previous background in music is required, students will be expected to listen closely to music and lyrics and come to understand the relationship between stylistic changes and the social forces that animate them. With help from the instructor and discussion leaders, students will develop a vocabulary for discussing music, politics, and culture.
Course Materials
Required Book:
Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation (Available @ Duckstore)
Additional Readings:
Online as PDFs via Blackboard (“Assignments”), or you can make hard copies by visiting: Copy Shop @ 539 E 13th Ave, 541-485-6253
Music and video examples will be available via Blackboard (“Assignments”)
Course Requirements
Students are expected to attend class, to prepare reading and listening assignments, and to contribute to class discussions. Students are expected to complete assignments on time. Late assignments will not be accepted without the prior approval of the instructor or GTFs. Absence from discussion sections will adversely affect your grade (see below).
Grades will be determined as follows:
Participation and Attendance 10%
Quizzes and Assignments 20%
Research Project/Paper 20%
Midterm Exam 20%
Final Exam 30%
Participation and Attendance
Attendance is required in your discussion section. Absences will count against your participation and attendance grade (see above). Earning all ten percentage-points will require active participation. Merely showing up for every meeting will result in a maximum of 8/10 or 8% towards your final grade. If you are a “listener” and not a “talker,” please see your GTF early in the term to arrange other ways in which you can demonstrate active participation.
You are expected to attend all lectures, and you will be responsible—within reason—for material from in-class videos. Powerpoint slides used in lecture will NOT be made available, so it is essential that you attend class regularly. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to catch up on assigned listening and reading. I also suggest reviewing missed lectures with a classmate. Neither the instructor nor the GTFs have time to reiterate material covered in class meetings, but we will meet with you at office hours for review purposes if you have specific questions.
Quizzes and Assignments
Quizzes will be given in discussion section and will be designed to help you review lecture material, listening examples, and reading assignments. There are no make-ups for missed quizzes, but we will drop your lowest quiz score when calculating final grades. In addition to quizzes, there will be a number of short assignments for you to complete at home. These assignments may include participating in online discussions of topics raised during class as well as short musical and/or lyrical analyses of rap songs.
Research Project/Paper
During Week 4, you will be assigned a research project. The goal of the project will be for you to use the UO library to locate a primary historical document from the 1980s (e.g., a newspaper or magazine article, television program, advertisement, etc.) discussing rap music. In addition to locating and copying the original source, you will write a brief 4-5 page paper (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times font) introducing and analyzing the document you have uncovered. How does it relate to the history of hip hop discussed in class? Describe your source’s content as well as its form and the tone that it takes. Reading between the lines, what can we learn from this document about rap music’s significance? How does the author seem to feel about the music? What social or artistic issues seem to be at stake in it?
Midterm and Final Exam
The midterm and final exam will consist of multiple choice and short essay questions. These exams will emphasize material covered in lecture and discussion section meetings. For questions related to listening examples, you will need to know the name of the artist, title of the track, year it was released, as well as other significant information from class lectures/readings.
E-mail Policy
During the school year, professors and GTFs receive an extraordinary number of e-mail messages. We will do our best to respond promptly to student e-mails. As a rule, you should understand your relationships to GTFs and professors as professional. When corresponding by e-mail, always include a salutation (“Dear Prof. Kajikawa,” “Dear Mr. Mariani,” “Dear Ms. Graper”) and a closing that identifies who you are (“Sincerely, Fred Brathwaite”).
Please also note that we might not check our e-mail more than once per day, or at all on weekends or in the evening, and we might not have time to reply immediately. We will give low priority to messages requesting information available elsewhere, such as the course syllabus or Blackboard site. Please have patience and do not hesitate to follow up with a second e-mail or in person during office hours or before, during, or after class if we have not replied to e-mail.
Electronic Devices
Wireless and handheld devices, cell phones, and laptop computers must be turned off prior to class. Please do not text in class.
Course Schedule
September 24
Course Introduction: History, Culture, Aesthetics
Read: none
Listen: none
September 26
Urban Planning and Deindustrialization in New York
Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (7-19; 41-65)
Listen:
Joe Cuba / “Bang Bang” / 1966James Brown / “Give It Up or Turn It Loose” – LIVE / 1969
Ghetto Brothers / “Ghetto Brothers Power” / 1972
King Tubby/Augustus Pablo / “King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown” / 1976
Fania All Stars / “Anacaona” / 1971
October 1
DJ Kool Herc and B-Boying in the Bronx
Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (67-85)
Joseph Schloss, “Classic B-Boy Records,” Foundation (17-39)
Listen:
Michael Viner’s Incredible Bongo Band / “Apache” / 1973Marvin Gaye / “T Plays It Cool” / 1972
The Jimmy Castor Bunch / “It’s Just Begun” / 1972
Babe Ruth / “The Mexican” / 1972
Bob James / “Take Me To The Mardi Gras” / 1975
October 3
The Birth of the Rap Song
Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (89-134)
Listen:
Grandmaster Flash w/ The Furious Four / Audoban Ballroom 12-23-1978 (bootleg) / 1978Sugarhill Gang / “Rapper’s Delight” / 1979
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five / “Superrappin’’” / 1979
Kurtis Blow / “The Breaks” / 1980
October 8
Uptown / Downtown
Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (141-187)
Listen:
Blondie / “Rapture” / 1981Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five / “Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” / 1981
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force / “Planet Rock” / 1982
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five / “The Message” / 1982
October 10
The Crossover: Def Jam and the First Platinum Rap Album
Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (189-211)
Listen:
Run-D.M.C. / “It’s Like That” / “Sucker M.C.s” / 1983Run-D.M.C. / “King of Rock” / 1985
Run-D.M.C. / “Walk This Way” / 1986
Beastie Boys / “Fight For Your Right” / “Paul Revere” / 1986
October 15
The Golden Age of Hip Hop Sampling
Read: Kembrew McLeod, “The Golden Age of Sampling,” Creative License (19-35)
Joseph Schloss, “Elements of Style,” Making Beats (135-168)
Listen:
MC Shan / “The Bridge” / 1986Marley Marl ft. Craig G / “Droppin’ Science” / 1988
Gangstarr / “Manifest” / 1989
De La Soul / “Eye Know” / “Magic Number” / 1989
Beastie Boys / “Shake Your Rump” / 1989
Biz Markie / “Just a Friend” / 1989
A Tribe Called Quest / “Can I Kick It?” / “Bonita Applebum” / 1990
October 17
Black Nationalism and Black Noise
Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (215-261)
Listen:
Run-D.M.C. / “Proud To Be Black” / 1986Public Enemy / “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” / “Rebel Without a Pause” / 1988
Public Enemy / “Fight the Power” / “911 is a Joke” / 1990
Poor Righteous Teachers / “Rock Dis Funky Joint” / 1990
X-Clan / “What Time Is It?” / 1990
October 22
Gangsta Rap’s Political Edge and Cultural Hustle
Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (299-353)
Listen:
Ice-T / “6 in the Mornin’” / 1986
Eazy-E / “Boyz in the Hood” / 1987
N.W.A. / “Straight Outta Compton” / “Gangsta Gangsta” / “Fuck Tha Police” / “Express Yourself” / “I Ain’t the One” / 1988
Ice Cube / “Endangered Species” / 1990
“Black Korea” / “Bird in the Hand” / 1991
October 24 - Midterm Exam
October 29
The Canonization of Tupac Shakur
Read: Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (357-379)
Michael Eric Dyson, Holler If You Hear Me (141-171; 231-246)
Listen:
Tupac Shakur / “Brenda’s Got a Baby” / 1992Tupac Shakur / “Keep Ya Head Up” / “I Get Around” / 1993
Tupac Shakur / “Dear Mama” / “If I Die 2nite” / 1995
Tupac Shakur / “Life Goes On” / “Ambitionz Az a Ridah” / 1996
Tupac Shakur / “To Live and Die in L.A.” / “Bomb First” / 1996
October 31
Dr. Dre’s The Chronic and Don Rap
Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (381-435)
Listen:
Dr. Dre / “Nuthin’ But a G Thang” / 1992Dr. Dre / “Let Me Ride” / 1992
Snoop Doggy Dogg / “Gin and Juice” / 1993
Snoop Doggy Dogg / “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?” / 1993
November 5
Rap Entrepreneurs and Mid-Nineties New York
Read: Robin Kelley, “Looking To Get Paid” Yo’ mama’s disfunktional! (43-77)
Listen:
Wu-Tang Clan / “Protect Ya Neck” / “C.R.E.A.M.” / 1995Notorius B.I.G. / “Everyday Struggle” / “Big Poppa” / 1994
Nas / “N.Y. State of Mind” / “One Love” / 1994
Jay-Z / “Dead Presidents II” / 1996
Jay-Z / “Money Ain’t a Thing” / 1998
November 7
The Rise of the South
Read: Adam Krims, “Rap Geography and Soul Food”
Listen:
Geto Boys / “My Mind’s Playing Tricks on Me” / 1992TT Tucker & DJ Irv / “Where Dey At” / 1992
Outkast / “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” / 1994
Goodie MoB / “Soul Food” / 1995
DJ Screw / “Sippin’ Codeine” / 1996
Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz / “Get Low” / 2003
T.I. / “What You Know” / 2006
November 12
Female MCs in “a man’s world”
Read: Cheryl Keyes, “Daughters of the Blues,” Rap Music and Street Consciousness (186-209)
Listen:
Salt-N-Pepa / “Push It” / 1986MC Lyte / “Lyte as a Rock” / 1988
Queen Latifah / “Ladies First” / 1989
Salt-N-Pepa / “Let’s Talk About Sex” / 1991
Missy Elliot / “Work It” / 2002
Lil’ Kim / “The Jump Off” / 2003
November 14
Turntablism and B-Boying in the 21st Century
Read: Mark Katz, “The Turntable as Weapon” (114-136)
Listen:
Cut Chemist and DJ Shadow / “Brain Freeze” / 1999November 19
Rap From the Outside In
Read: Kajikawa, “Eminem’s ‘My Name Is’: Signifying Whiteness, Rearticulating Race”
Listen:
Eminem / “Infinite” / “Never Too Far” / 1996Eminem / “My Name Is” / “Just Don’t Give a Fuck” / 1999
Eminem / “Stan” / 2000
Mountain Brothers / “Microphone Phenomenal” / 2003
Jin / “Learn Chinese” / 2004
November 21
Underground Hip Hop
Read: Anthony Kwame Harrison, “The Revision and Continued Salience of Race”
Listening:
Freestyle Fellowship / “Sunshine Men” / 1991Freestyle Fellowship / “Inner City Boundaries” / “Cornbread” / 1993
Medusa / http://www.myspace.com/medusa
Living Legends / http://www.legendarymusic.net/
Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Blackstar / “Respiration” / “Thieves in the Night” / “Children’s Story” / 1998
P.U.T.S. / “The Outrage” / 2002
Blues Scholars / “Proletariat Blues” / 2006
November 26
Sexuality and Homophobia
Read: Brother Ali, “The Intersection of Homophobia and Hip Hop”
Melissa Leon, “Too Gay for Hip Hop?”
Listen:
Big Freedia / “Excuse” / 2011Le1F / “Wut” / 2012
November 28
Rapocalypse Now!
Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (437-465)
Listen:
Das Racist / “Rainbow in the Dark” / 2011Tyler the Creator / “Yonkers” / 2011
Kreayshawn / “Gucci Gucci” / 2011
Drake ft. Rihanna / “Take Care” / 2011
Shabazz Palaces / “An Echo From the Hosts That Profess Infinitum” / 2011
Others to be determined…
December 3
Final Exam - 123 Pacific
Note the Time: 10:15 a.m. !!!
Students should be aware that the School of Music and Dance desires to discourage any sort of action that makes an individual feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. Students with concerns related to discrimination, bias, or sexual harassment are encouraged to contact the following offices should you wish to report such an incident and get help in resolving the incident.