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Hip Hop & Social Issues AMS 111 Spring 2014

Spring 2014

The University at Buffalo
Department of Transnational Studies

Contemporary Popular Music Special Topics:
Hip Hop & Social Issues
AMS 111

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
12:00 to 12:50 PM

This course will examine hip-hop's place in America and the world. We will begin the course with a simple question: Where does hip hop come from? To answer this, we will place hip-hop in its larger historical and political contexts. We will visit hip-hoppers in a 1970s New York City and then trace its history from the Jim Crow South to Kingston, Jamaica and then forward to the supposed end of the civil rights era. We will think through the implications of hip-hop's addiction to James Brown, misogyny, and all-things keepin' it real. We will listen for hip-hop's African and African American sonic roots while placing hip-hop in its present context as a world cultural movement. We will then move to issues of social justice and mass incarceration - phenomenon that hip-hoppers have been hell-bent on addressing and bringing to bear in their politics since the very beginning. To get at these and other ideas, we will focus on the following course question: Consider its roots, how and why has hip-hop changed over the past 40 years? What does this change reveal about our world and our future? And what does hip-hop's presence in the world tell us about race, class gender, and American culture? We will pay special attention to the changing roles of race, class, gender, and nation as seen in hip-hop's relationship to resistance as well as struggle for a more equal and just present.

HHA Twitter

HHA is now on Twitter!

Twitter.com/hiphopalumni

UB Students & Cornell University Hip Hop 13'

Cornell University Hip Hop Collection & University of Buffalo's
AAS 117 Crew (Article link below includes the roster of names)

Mapping Trajectory While Studying Rapping's Directory
Course Teaches UB Students the History and Social Factors of Hip Hop Genre

Article: click here

Style Wars in Buffalo, NY

**click on image to enlarge**

This photograph is from Hip Hop & Social Issues UB student Alana Barricks and her graffiti art in University Heights of Buffalo in collaboration with the University Heights Tool Library.  Alana informed us that the university is working on an urban renewal project through street art which includes the work of several other community artist as well.  Inspired by the film Style Wars that she saw in the Hip Hop & Social Issues course, Alana's piece can be seen just around the corner from 5 West Northrup.  Much thanks to Alana for reaching out and sharing her work! 

Hip Hop & Social Issues (AAS 117)

Key Questions for Unit 1
In order to understand Hip Hop, we must first understand...?

How are these "contexts" related?  And how do they influence one another?

What does this venn diagram teach us about Hip Hop?

Thinking about how each context is inter-related, independent,

and part of a much more complex American, African American

and global history.

Hip Hop & Social Issues (AAS 117)

Fall 2013 semester has been underway for the HHA Hip Hop & Social Issues (AAS 117) course instructed by Justin De Senso at the University of Buffalo SUNY.  Above is a Venn Diagram from Unit 1 instruction.  More information on the course will be updated soon!  Shout out to the students of Fall 2013 and the youth from YALT, Chris, Zach, & Tonio!  

New mission -- no less than a post a week to keep folks updated with the developments, including this semester's trip to the UK to take part in a panel on Ice-T, the upcoming class trip to the Cornell University Hip Hop Collection in Ithaca, New York, and tons of footage over the past two semesters from students, film makers, artist, and Hip Hoppers that have been involved with the course.

Stay tuned!

Akbar Interview Planet X

Akbar Interview 'Planet X'

Akbar Interview Pt. 1: click here
Akbar Interview Pt. 2: click here
Akbar Interview Pt. 3: click here
Akbar Interview Pt. 4: click here
Akbar Interview Pt. 5: click here

Hip Hop Alumni.com 2008-2013 Banner

'HHA Banner 2008-2013'

This post is to let you all know of an update on our homepage design.  For 2013, we developed a new banner design that includes photographs of contributors to Hip Hop Alumni (HHA) over the years.  Time has kept us from really making the site grow, but piece by piece we look forward to uploading and revising what we have and announcing what our current activities and future plans are moving forward.  In 2008, our goal with the banner was to simply put people on to the individuals who have influenced our ideas and how we started.  The concept of Hip Hop Alumni was born in a classroom at New Mexico State University inside of the Clara Belle Williams Hall.  Clara Belle Williams was NMSU's first black graduate in 1937 while she worked as a school teacher at Booker T. Washington school in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  So if you notice, Clara Belle Williams' presence on our banner over the years is permanent and represents the foundation of what Justin De Senso and I (Lecroy Rhyanes) would later develop after being introduced to each other in a jazz lyric course (in the Clara Belle Williams building).  The other individuals that have been featured on the banner are people we are inspired by such as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X), Bruce Lee, and educators, artists, and photographers of Hip Hop's past & present.  In our 2013 banner design we wanted to continue to reference some of our influences but also included photographs of some individuals that contributed their time, talents, and ideas to HHA.  One of the photographs was taken during our attendance of one of Dr. Manning Marable's final presentations before he passed away.  There is only so much that could be fit onto a header for the website, so we extend much love and respect to everybody - friends and collaborators that have worked with us and shared ideas.  You'll also notice that above our banner, we've included a discography or some of our favorite audios and we will also be adding a banner of key texts to link to our Hip Hop Stacks initiative.  On the website homepage www.hiphopalumni.com you'll also find links to our HHA Facebook, HHA Classroom Forum (for students of the University at Buffalo-SUNY course currently being instructed by Justin De Senso) - also includes a general forum for the public, and a link to our HHA Blogsite (Wire).  In addition, we have an HHA YouTube.  The HHbeAtz Playlist is rotating instrumental tracks from our homepage.  Til' the next few updates, we hope the first month of your new year has been good!       

Hip Hop & Social Issues AAS 117

'Class in Session'

Instructor's Notes

Hip Hop & Social Issues AAS 117
January 14 to May 9, 2013

University at Buffalo, SUNY
Instructor: Justin De Senso

For more information, please contact Justin De Senso at: jdesenso@gmail.com

Hip Hop Alumni has also added a Classroom Forum for online discussion amongst University at Buffalo students and other educators willing to collaborate and share resources, discussion, etc.

HHA NMSU Exit Interviews 2011

HHA | The Rhetoric of Hip Hop Exit Interviews: YouTube

These are exit interviews conducted with "Rhetoric of Hip Hop" students in the Spring 2011 semester at NMSU. Directed by Justin De Senso | Music by IV the Polymath | Footage by Alex Van Gelder*

In Memory of Gil Scott-Heron

In memory of Gil Scott-Heron*

A promotional flier for a radio program that broadcasted during my time at KRUX 91.5 fm.  PLAYLISTS.Mixtapes.CDs

-Lee

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty

Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty
by Greg Neri on Vimeo.

The Hip-Hop Affect

The Hip Hop Affect, 2011*

The latest album from J Rawls of Lone Catalysts. 

Hip Hop Alumni @ El Paso Public Library Event

Hip Hop Alumni & El Paso Public Library (05.07.2011)*

On April 16th & May 7th and 14th, 2011, Hip Hop Alumni & the El Paso Public Library collaborated for a series of events and film screenings throughout El Paso branch libraries to promote Hip Hop Stacks, a collection of literature now available to the public that explores Hip Hop culture.  In the photograph above DJ Metronix of El Paso, Texas provides a workshop on turntablism at the Judge Marquez Branch Library.

More information, photographs and video will be provided soon on the events and bibliography of HHA Stacks at both the El Paso Public Library and New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM. 

In Memory of Dr. Manning Marable

Photograph from CNN.com


A Biographer Who Shattered Malcolm X Myths | CNN
by Maytha Alhassen

"Although he didn't use a computer to write, he did not dismiss advances that made the ivory tower more accessible to the public. Marable's combination of old-school scholarship, devotion to the community and his students, ability to quote Tupac lyrics, use of multimedia for educational purposes and incomparable instruction set him apart not only as an eminent scholar of African-American history, but also as an engaged scholar."

Full Article: click here

HHA 2011 El Paso Public Library Event

Cormega Raw Forever

Cormega Speaks on New Album: CLICK HERE

Source: HipHopDX.com

Dr. Manning Marable @ NMSU 2011

Rediscovering Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention

NMSU | February 24, 2011 | CC Ballroom | 7 to 9 PM

Dr. Marable's soon-to-be published comprehensive biography of Malcolm X presents surprising new details about this charismatic black leader's life and assassination.

The Rhetoric of Hip Hop

Trek Life 1 Track @ a Time Interview

Photographer: digitalbrownhornet

Trek Life Interview: CLICK HERE

'1 Track @ a Time' | YOUTUBE