Is hip-hop worthy of higher
education? Will hip-hop themed courses ever be taken seriously in academia?
Since the rise of hip-hop, universities have offered many hip-hop courses and
have incorporated influential hip-hop artists’ catalogues into college syllabi.
Today, the course itself and teaching hip-hop itself remain controversial. The group
of hip-hop artists that make music highlighting their college experiences while
opting for a more conscious approach are occasionally looked over. College
doesn’t respect hip-hop and hip-hop doesn’t glorify college.
Over the years, hip-hop has
become an extremely influential movement around the world. Hip-hop is more than
just music, it is a culture that impacts society, connected ethnicities and
infiltrated the masses. During the 1970s in the Bronx, hip-hop was born by the
founding father, DJ Kool Herc. The foundation of hip-hop includes breakdancing
by B-boys/B-girls, DJs, emceeing, beat boxing, fashion and more. The elements,
which were formerly localized, have risen at an exponential rate, starting from
South Bronx to places like South Korea. The major layers that make up Hip-Hop
have grown tremendously, like the graffiti scene in inner city neighborhoods expanding
into museums, rap battles went from taking place in alleys to televised
platforms, breakdancing in underground clubs to worldwide competitions, and rap
performances in basements now fill the airwaves across the world.
Although these components
have successfully crossed over on a major scale, the transition into classrooms
is not taken as serious. The concern is not only the value of these courses,
but the importance of avoiding exploitation and culture appropriation. As the
culture elevates and courses invade predominantly white universities, some feel
it can be looked at as appropriation due its harsh and poverty stricken
beginnings. Who should teach the course is also a factor because authenticity
is important.
Former beat boxer, B-boy, and
University at Buffalo professor, Dr. Kushal Bhardwaj who teaches ‘Hip-hop and
Social Issues says, “Legitimacy and authenticity is not exclusively tied to
race. You can’t teach people how to be black but you can have people study
socially, historically, and culturally what it has meant to be black. If hip-hop
culture makes a white kid more conscious of who Malcolm X really was or who the
Black Panthers really were, and it makes them consciously say ‘maybe these cops
need to stop shooting us because police brutality isn’t exclusively done to
black folk’, then that’s the point.”
On the opposing side, many are
reluctant to bring hip-hop culture into the classroom due to the negative
stereotype. Universities fear the suggestive lyrics, dance moves, attire, and
videos can lead to risky behavior. Alex Beam, a columnist from the Boston
Globe, claims the study of hip-hop is not suitable for academic study
describing it as “celebration of ignorance, gangster-ism...and violence against
women.” But, this is merely a reflection of the aspect of hip-hop they were
exposed to. However, when examining these suggestive lyrics, videos, et cetera,
courses tied in with sociology, women studies, film and history arise.
“There are generational and
racial disdain with hip-hop and that is the same way that mainstream society
called rock and roll “jungle music. That fear reflects broader societies’ lack
of understanding of black culture and history. Certain departments don’t get it
and I’m afraid sometimes, they won’t get it. There is a growing population, a
progressive population, of not just African American departments but like
sociology, history, and communications,” says Bhardwaj.
City College of New York student
and music artist Arthur ‘Ar-Stylez’ Baton says, “Pursuing higher education does
not take away from your authenticity, in fact it does the opposite, it adds on.
As an artist, the more you learn, the more you can tell. Sharing your
experiences and stories with the World. As people, we should seek and take pride
in learning both inside & outside the classroom on a consistent basis.”
Rappers like J Cole and
Childish Gambino are current artists who don’t shy away from delivering lyrics
about their college experiences. Kanye West put out a legendary album named
“The College Dropout,” where he encouraged the youth to make their own
decisions and not let society tell them what to do and for him college was one
of those things. This doesn’t mean he is against college, it actually promotes
entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, some hip-hop artists refrain from talking about
higher education because of many factors like radio play, their image, the
false impression that they have to live up to negative stereotypes, and or
simply because they aren’t exposed to it.
“Speaking as an artist who
is attending college, pursuing a college education is very time-consuming, as
students tend to make stressful commitments and sacrifices to excel. Being an artist,
stressful environments and time management can affect or/and alter your
creativity,” said Baton.
The scholarly work ‘The
hip-hop Generation’ claims, the keys to communicating with an entire generation
of young people can be found in hip-hop. Howard University, a historically
black college was the first to offer a hip-hop specific course in 1991. Since
then, colleges all over the United States have adopted hip-hop specific courses
including top-ranked universities such as Harvard, Penn State, University of
Southern California, University of California, Stanford, Rice, Duke, Princeton,
and New York University. According to JET magazine, Georgetown offers a course
called ‘Sociology of hip-hop: Urban Theodicy of Jay Z’ where students explore
the blurred lines between his artistry and harsh upbringing.
The culture and the movement as a whole
has grown. Colleges and Universities should not only continue offering hip-hop
courses, but add to the culture by taking it serious. Michelle Obama chose to use
rap to promote the White House’s agenda in a College Humor video this year encouraging
students to attend college. Hip-hop in academia goes beyond the stereotypical gang
and drug cultures to analyze the movement’s intersection with social issues,
politics, academics, business, and more. Hip-hop is dominating the youth and is
truly an effective way to communicate with today’s generation. Higher education
and hip-hop must intersect and be valued in both arenas. Hip-hop is proven to be not only an art but also a
valuable lesson.
