[Spring 2010 - 1177 395 10]

College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Urban Affairs, Social Sciences, and Social Work
Building 41/301

Professor: Andrew J. Ryan

Office Hour: Wednesday 6.00-7 by appointment only
Meeting Times: Wednesday 7:00-9:50 pm in Bldg. 41, Room 301
Contact Information: 202 556 3676 – hiphopprof@gmail.com
Course Description and goals: Introduction to Hip-Hop Studies will examine the history of
Hip-Hop and the effect it has had on our society. The primary focus of this 3-credit course is to
engage Hip-Hop not as a mode of entertainment, but as a medium of communication which impacts,
represents, and misrepresents the life experiences of youth (especially inner-city youth) in the United
States. The historical, socio-economic, and musical/aesthetic contexts from which Hip-Hop emerged
will be analyzed. Distinct themes and phenomena that define Hip-Hop will be presented and
discussed as well. The goal of this course is to have you critically think, write, and discuss the origins,
themes, and direction of Hip-Hop in the context of contemporary American culture and abroad.

Grading Policy:
• Class Presentation/Research Paper 20% [paper will be 15%]
• Blog Project 20%
• Mid-term 20%
• Online Assignments [7 of 8] 35%
• Participation 5%

Much of what we do in class is interactive and depends upon your regular attendance and enthusiastic
participation. Your being absent not only diminishes your learning, but it keeps the class from
benefiting from your experiences and ideas. Arriving late, leaving early, and being absent will hurt
your participation grade.

Late work will not be accepted. Unless otherwise noted, all assignments are due, via Blackboard
(http://blackboard.udc.edu) and hard copy, at the beginning of class. Students may revise graded
papers and receive a one letter grade increase. Revisions must be received 1 week after the paper is
returned. Exceptions are permissible, but require prior permission of instructor.

Grading Scheme
A = > 90% Excellent (superior work)
B = 89% - 80% Very Good (better satisfactory, but not superior)
C = 79% - 70% Satisfactory (average, basic understanding of the subj.)
D = 69% – 60%
F = 60% and below Unsatisfactory (Failure to meet any of the course goals).
Introduction to Hip-Hop Studies Spring 2010
Final grades will be calculated using the University grading system. No curve will be used --this
is to your advantage!

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any project or paper suspected of not being the original
work of the author will be forwarded to the University of the District of Columbia Honor
System (please sign the last sheet to affirm your understanding of the Honor code). When in
doubt, please consult me before handing your work in.

Required Texts:
Chang, Jeff. Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. New
York: St. Martin's Press Press, 2005.

Mid-semester grade: Approximately six weeks into the course, I will make available your mid-
semester grade. This is a good opportunity to gauge your progress and meet with me to discuss
strategies for the second half of the semester.

Blogging Project
Blogging allows for Internet users to share their thoughts on a topic via an online
journal. We will employ blogging to extend the classroom learning experience.

From February 24th to April 14th, you will be asked to record 2 weekly observations
on Hip-Hop culture. One observation should relate to Hip-Hop and its influence on
society and the world. Your second observation should be related to weekly readings,
lecture and class discussion. This posting should be seen as an opportunity to share
your understanding of Hip-Hop culture with an online audience.

Please include URLs or any reference material which accompany your posts. This is
not an editorial or an opinion-fest, there must be some substance behind your
comments.

Class Participation: Participation in class is not measured by attendance. Rather,

students will be responsible for prior readings and scholarly contribution to in class
discussions. There is a separate grade for online discussion. If you are morbidly afraid
of talking in public forums, this class is your chance to overcome that phobia.

Quizzes: In reinforcing the aforementioned category, online quizzes will be given 8

times throughout the semester. These quizzes will be 8-10 questions, multiple choice
or short answer. I will drop the lowest grade and take a simple average of the
remaining scores.

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Introduction to Hip-Hop Studies Spring 2010

About Group Work: During the course of the semester, you will be required to
work in groups. In the past, this has been a very rewarding experience for students.
However, there have been occasions where inequity in workload has been a problem.
You are encouraged to write a group contract, to be signed by all members, which
outlines the penalties involved for not fulfilling group duties. If no contract is drawn up,
the group grade will be distributed equally among all members.

Week 1 Jan. 27 Class Overview -- What is Hip-Hop?

• Syllabus
• Introductions
• Of Hip-Hop and Academia
Week 2 Feb 3 Hip-Hop as Culture and Community
• “Hip-Hop Turns 30,” Greg Tate, Village Voice and introduction
• Defining Hip-Hop/Hip-Hop as Culture (or community)
Week 3 Feb 10 Hip-Hop Back in the Day
• Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (CSWS): Chapter 1 “The Bronx and the Politics of
Abandonment” CSWS Chapter 3: Blood and Fire, with Occasional Music: The
Gangs of the Bronx”
• Online Quiz
Week 4 Feb 17 Graffiti -- We will meet in E-104 (second floor of library)
• Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (CSWS): Chapter 6: Furious Styles: The Evolution of
Style in the Seven Mile World
• Online Handout on Graffiti
• Online Quiz
Week 5 Feb 24 Graf as Political Tool [for who?] -- We will meet in E-104 (second
floor of library)
• Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (CSWS): Chapter 6: Furious Styles: The Evolution of
Style in the Seven Mile World
• Online Quiz
Week 6 Mar 3 B-Boying Youthful Exuberance Released
• CSWS: CH 8 Zulus on a Time Bomb Hip-Hop Meets the Rockers
Downtown”
• Online Handout on B-boying
• Online Quiz
Week 7 Mar 10 Deejaying – The Big Three: Kool Herc, Bambaataa & Flash
• CSWS: CH 4 Making a Name: How DJ Kool Herc Lost His Accent and
Started Hip-Hop”
• Online Handouts on Deejaying
• Online Quiz
Week 8 Mar 17 The DEEJAY CONTINUED – Meet in A 03 (Auditorium)
• CSWS: CH 10 End of Innocence: The Fall of the Old School”
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Introduction to Hip-Hop Studies Spring 2010
- Midterm Released
Week 9 Mar 24 Midterm ONLINE
• CSWS: CH 18 Becoming the Hip-Hop Generation: The Source, the Industry
and the Big Crossover
Week 10 Spring Break

Week 11 April 7 Women and Hip-Hop -- We will meet in E-105 (second floor of
library)
• CSWS: Ch 11 Things Fall Apart: The Rise of the Post Civil Rights Era and Ch
12 What we Got to Say: Black Suburbia, Segregation and Utopia in the Late
1980s
• Online Handouts
• Online Quiz
Week 12 Apr 14 Interpreting Hip-Hop – Deciphering the Hidden Messages of Rap
Music
• CSWS: CH 14 The Cultural Assassins: Geography, Generation and Gangsta
Rap
• Sub-Theme: Urban Griots: Gil Scott Heron, the Last Poets, Sonia Sanchez open the
door for rap
• Online Quiz
Week 13 Apr 21 Rap: Rhythm and Poetry
• CSWS: CH 18 Becoming the Hip-Hop Generation: The Source, the Industry
and the Big Crossover and Ch 19 New World Order: Globalization,
Containment, and CounterCulture at the End of the Century
• Online Quiz
• Class Presentations
• Course Evals
Week 14 Apr 28 Beyond Beats and Rhymes: A Timeline of the Global Rap Emcee
• FINAL EXAM
ONLINE MEETINGS TO BE ANNOUNCED

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Introduction to Hip-Hop Studies Spring 2010
Honor System Acknowledgement and Pledge

I hereby acknowledge that I will read and become familiar with Volumes I and II of the UDC-DCSL
Student Handbook.

Specifically, I will read Volume II, section 1, Academic Norms and Standards which addresses (a) honesty
in crediting sources of ideas, information, and written work, (b) honesty in taking examinations, (c)
honesty in claiming credit for work in a course, (d) honesty in documents, (e) fair and legal use of the
law library, law school computers, career services library, and other law school-related books,
materials and equipment, and (f) non-interference with the educational process.

I hereby pledge that I will abide by the UDC-DCSL Honor System and the academic norms and
standards described therein and that I will neither violate said norms, nor be silent with regard to the
violations of those norms by others if such violations come to my attention.

______________________________________ ______________________________________
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PRINT NAME SIGNATURE DATE

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