Image via Complex Original
Rap is really starting to make its presence felt in colleges and universities across the nation. A small surge of classes dealing with the subject made a play for the hearts of students in the '90s—an academic acknowledgement that rap had risen from entertainment in New York City parks to globally consumed art. And rap continued to find its way into classrooms for the past 10 years, but the last few years things have really taken off. From Harvard Fellowships to newly constructed schools, here are 8 Recent Times Hip-Hop Ended Up in Colleges.
Alex Siber wishes he lived in Calvin & Hobbes. Follow him @Alex_Siber.
Georgia Regents University's English Class Inspired by good kid, m.A.A.d city
The twisted, vivid street tales of Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d. city sparked headlines last month, from USA Today to Pigeons & Planes, for guiding the progression of an English composition course titled “Good Kids, Mad Cities” at Georgia Regents University. Professor Adam Diehl tests his students’ analytical skills, having them compare and contrast the works of James Baldwin, James Joyce, and others with K. Dot’s 2012 album.
“What if people had said, ‘We shouldn’t study Toni Morrison or Hemingway or Emily Dickinson because they’re too new?’” Diehl said. “Everything was new or too popular or too risqué at the time, but I just think that great stories last and the story of good kid, m.A.A.d. city is lasting.”
Ohio State University's Hip-Hop-Heavy Psychology Course
Nothing saves a dreary day like the Based God showing up in your multiple choice question. Ohio State University’s Intro to Psychology class did just that in September. Images, originally shared by Twitter user @AyeeItsStephayy, showed a set of PowerPoint questions with scenarios starring Lil B, Waka Flocka, “Quavo of Migos,” Rick Ross, Chief Keef, and RiFF RAFF.
L.A. Trade Technical College's Fashion Class Taught by Kanye
L.A. Trade Technical College students snapped pictures of Kanye West's highly publicized fashion lecture in September. The best of the bunch finds West standing, with folded arms, beside an all-caps whiteboard note to his pupils: “PRESENTATIONS TOMORROW!” Kanye's lecture was a part of his community service, so we guess the kids should actually be thanking the paparazzi for annoying Kanye so much.
Questlove's Prince 101 Course at NYU
Questlove's Twitter bio reads, “never a teacher, always a student,” but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When not making magic with the Roots or drumming up beats and smiles on The Tonight Show, he’s leading lectures. His most recent classroom endeavor, Prince 101, brought the walking knowledge bank back to the halls of New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, where he first taught a Classic Albums course in 2012.
“I’m not expecting people to walk away with their Ph.D. in Purple-ology, but I want to light a spark,” Questlove said in an interview with the New York Post. “It’s a mistake to assume that even in this age of information, people just know about the fundamental records and artists of the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s. What’s the point of being a walking encyclopedia if you don’t share the information?”
Harvard University's Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship
No one strings together thoughtful words and narratives quite like Nas. Harvard honored Jones' contributions to hip-hop culture last fall when it announced the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship. The fellowship subsidizes research and rap-oriented courses. For Nas, who never graduated high school, the opportunity to help young individuals like him at such a prestigious institution was especially personal.
University of Arizona's Hip-Hop Minor
The University of Arizona was the first place to ever offer students the ability to get a minor in hip-hop. The program focuses on all facets of the culture. When the announcement was made, the university’s Africana Studies interim director Alain-Philippe Durand told the Los Angeles Times, “Rap and hip-hop in general has become super popular around the world…. It affects every single discipline and aspect of society.”
9th Wonder's Work at Duke, Harvard, and North Carolina Central University
9th Wonder keeps himself busy. The Grammy-winning producer has previously handled seminars at Harvard and Duke, and, in April, announced a new class at North Carolina Central University. 9th actually attended NCCU but dropped out to pursue music. Hip-Hop in Context, which kicked off this fall, is the first class at NCCU’s newfound Hip-Hop Institute. Better still, his latest venture may become an official major offered at NCCU.
Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine's New School at USC
Degrees, classes, and fellowships elevate hip-hop's academic standing, but nothing tops Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine's announcement last May, when they unveiled a $70 million investment that birthed USC's Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology, and the Business of Innovation. The achievement requires emphasis: This is a high point in hip-hop history. The partnership with the University of Southern California created a four-year undergraduate program in effect this fall, and cemented rap’s emerging role in education. When asked in an interview with Rolling Stone what else he wanted people to know about the school, Dre only had this to say: “Look at what hip-hop can do.” Amen.