How would one approach this without making it dry? Do you start from the late 70's and just start going through releases every class? What do you include / exclude? Hip Hop has so many albums that gave the music "character" but never hit on a larger scale.

Do you assign them albums to listen to? You couldn't post links to have them listen to albums because colleges are vigilant on copyright infringement, so you would have have them buy the CD's (Itunes is a wonder right now if labels have their back catalogues in check).

Would a student be able to respond with more that "oh, we just listen to music" when asked what they do in the class?

Do you try to teach them about how to go about analyzing the music, or what to look for (as if there is a "correct" way to do this)? Do you discuss the standards that MC's are judged upon (complexity, wordplay, imagery, connectivity, story-telling, flow, vocal tone, humor, etc etc.)?

Hip hop heads in general are dismissive of any opposing idea when it comes to discussing the music. How would one get past that during a class discussion? Would the "professor" be able to set appropriate ground rules for discussions?

So many questions ... I've actually thought about "teaching" a class like this on a few occasions, or even running an after school program where I teach, but I feel it would open up too much of a liability due to content issues.




>I'd much rather have a hip hop history class, where it's just
>recitation of dates and knowing what the hits were, than for
>folks to try and dissect Gangsta of Love or Blow Job Betty.
>
>And I bet Ms. Fat Booty would get a pass!
>
>one
>k. orr


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