HIP-HOP 101 / Hip-Hop History: Beats, Rhymes and Life*

Some characterize Hip-Hop as solely a musical genre that has its roots in the various boroughs of New York City in the 1970’s.  Others consider Hip-Hop as historic storytelling that comes to the United States via the griot from West Africa, through oral histories kept alive in verse, in the cultural practice known as “the dozens” and finally as a form of music.  KRS-One an artist and founder of the Temple of Hip-Hop once defined it as “intelligent movement”.  He argued that to be “hip” was to be ‘in the know’ or in other words, to possess some sort of hidden knowledge.  He said that to “hop” was to move, that it’s a verb and therefore it is movement.  He argued that Hip-Hop was therefore at its core, intelligent movement and mindful counterculture. This course is an examination of this movement of counterculture, its place in history and global impact.

Materials: Please purchase the books, album and songs specified below. These will be the materials you will use during this course.

Texts:

1. The Gospel of Hip-Hop by KRS-One
2. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (PDF to be provided)
3. Hip-Hop Family Tree Volume 1 by Ed Piskor
4. Hip-Hop’s Amnesia From Blues and the Black Women’s Club Movement to Rap and the Hip Hop Movement by Reiland Rabaka
   1. Remix 2: Women
   2. Remix 4: Sexuality
5. Hip-Hop’s Inheritance by Reiland Rabaka
6. Its Bigger Than Hip Hop: The Rise Of The Post Hip-Hop Generation by Asante
7. The Autobiography of Assata Shakur
8. Black Jacobins by CLR James

Albums:

1. XFactor album by Professor A.L.I.

Songs:

1. Verbs of Power by X-Clan
2. U.N.I.T.Y. by Queen Latifah
3. Ya Playin’ Yaself by Jeru The Damajah
4. You Must Learn by Boogie Down Productions
5. Brenda’s Got a Baby by 2pac
6. All That I Got Is You by Ghostface Killah feat. Mary J Blige
7. B.I.B.L.E. by Killah Priest
8. Never Seen a Man Cry by Scarface
9. Black Steel in the Hour Of Chaos by Public Enemy
10. Break The Grip Of Shame by Paris
11. Children’s Story by Slick Rick
12. Love’s Gonna Get’cha by KRS-One
13. Definition by Black Star
14. Doo Wop by Lauryn Hill
15. Fight The Power by Public Enemy
16. F— The Police by NWA
17. The Formula by DOC
18. Git Up, Git Out by Outkast
19. Me and Jesus the Pimp in a ’79 Grenada Last Night By the Coup
20. I Gave You Power by Nas
21. Me and My Girlfriend by 2pac
22. Juicy by Notorius BIG
23. I Used to Love H.E.R. by Common
24. I Ain’t Mad At Ya by 2pac
25. Ladies First by Queen Latifah
26. We’re All In the Same Gang by West Coast All-Stars
27. MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know by KRS-One
28. Hip-Hop Is Dead by Nas
29. The Message by Grandmaster Flash
30. The 18^th Letter by Rakim
31. N. Y. State of Mind by Nas
32. 6 N the Mornin by Ice-T
33. Words of Wisdom by 2pac
34. Who Do You Believe In by 2pac
35. South Bronx by KRS ONE
36. Renee by Lost Boyz
37. Martyr by Immortal Technique
38. Beef by Talib Kweli
39. Satisfied by J-Live

Video (rent):

Wild Style or Krushgroove

Articles:

1. Spivak, Subaltern (these will be provided to you)
2. Foucault on Power (these will be provided to you)
3. Invisible Man (these will be provided to you)

*A Tribe Called Quest reference