jazz/blues/orchestra, you have to be able to perform that shit to teach it, and to a certain extent, learn it and appreciate it.

the people who teach it now have never rocked a crowd, never sold units, never done MOST of the stuff (good or bad) that is celebrated in hip hop as a part of the culture.

even from a mechanical standpoint, most of the 'intellectuals' don't mix, don't rap, don't do graf, don't break and probably never did.

no university would let a teacher lecture on jazz that couldn't play the hell out of a jazz saxophone.

but because there is this yawning chasm between the PERFORMERS of professional hip hop and the PUNDITRY of hip hop, what gets taught in college is often - as you say - the KING BACKPACKER version.

until TI, BUN B and KRS are teaching courses, shit ain't legit.

(at least NCCU had PLAY and 9th teaching THEIR courses)

obviously, this is not to say that DYSON and co are not saying true, powerful things. its moreso saying that they are not TEACHING hip hop, but moreso their COMMENTARY and OPINIONS of hip hop.