Hip-hop Music and Culture
Spring 2016 / MUSC 420m
Monday and Wednesday, 2 – 3:5o p.m.
4.0 Units, TMC G156
Instructor:Dr.SeanNye
[email protected]
OfficeHours:Tuesdays,3-5p.m.inMUS305(orbyappointment)
TeachingAssistant:WilliamRowley
[email protected]
CourseDescription:
Inunderfortyyears,hip-hopmusichasrisenfromlocalobscuritytobecomethesinglemost
popularandlucrativeformofmusicintheworld.Thissuccesshasproducedregional,national,
andinternationalculture(s)ofhip-hop,whichhaveinturnresultedindiverserepresentations
andanalyses,rangingfromfeaturefilmstobook-lengthpublications. Inthiscourse,wewill
examinehip-hopfromadualperspectiveemergingfromourpresentmoment:(1)thehistoryof
hip-hopmusicandculturefromthe1970stothepresentand(2)currentdevelopmentsand
debatesinhip-hop,withspecialattentiontoLosAngeles.
Duringthesemester,wewillcarefullyreadtheclassichistoryofhip-hop,JeffChang’sCan’tStop
Won’tStop:AHistoryoftheHip-HopGeneration.Thecoursewillalsoexplorehowmusical
processeslikerapping,DJing,scratching,andsamplinghaveevolved,aswellashowstylesand
subgenreshaveproliferated.Furthermore,wewilldrawfromculturalcriticismtostudysocial,
political,andculturalphenomenasuchasconstructionsofrace,neighborhood,andmasculinity,
misogynyandhomophobia,politicalactivism,andtheusesoftechnology.
Nopriormusicalexperienceisrequired,butoneofyourtaskswillbetodevelopabasicsetof
skillsfordiscussingthestructureandfunctionofhip-hopsongs.
Diversitystatement:
ThiscoursefulfillstheDiversityRequirementbyfocusingonthreeareasofdifference:race,
nationality,andgender.Studentswilllearnabouthowhip-hophasbotharticulatedandrefuted
conventionalnotionsofracialidentityintheUnitedStates,howhip-hopnegotiatesissuesof
nationalidentity(asdistinctfromracialidentity),andhowhip-hopartistsandlistenersconstruct
gender.
CourseRequirements:
Theclasswillberuninalectureformat,butyouarealsoexpectedtokeepupwithweekly
readingassignmentsandlisteningmaterials.In-classactivitieswillincludegroupwork,
discussion,andbriefwrittenresponses.Therewillbefivesquizzesandtwoessaysinthiscourse.
Pleasenote:theBlackboardwebsitewillcontainadditionalreadingsandothercourse-related
materials.PleasereviewBlackboardregularlyduringthesemester.
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Grading:
Youwillbegradedonthefollowingitems:
• fivequizzes(seeguidelinesbelowinthesyllabus):eachworth10%oftheclassgrade.
Fourquizzeswillbeadministeredduringclassmeetings,andonewilltakeplaceduringthe
FinalExammeetingspecifiedbytheuniversity.Ofthesefivepossiblequizzes,yourfour
highestgradeswillcounttowardyourgrade.
• twoessays,eachworth20%ofyourclassgrade.Thesearetobewrittenoutsideofclass
andsubmitted(onpaper)tomeinclass.Nolateessayswillbeacceptedforanyreason
shortofserious,documentedmedicalemergency.Adoctor’snoteexplainingwhyyou
wereunabletowritetheessaywillberequiredforanextension.
• participation:20%ofyourclassgrade.Toreceivefullcredit,youmustattendclass
regularly,participateconstructivelyinclassdiscussions,andturninbriefwrittenresponses
duringclass.Itisyourresponsibilitytomakesurethatyouattendclassconsistently.
Gradingisasfollows:
90-100%=A
80-89%=B
70-79%=C
65-69%=D
below65=F
Plusesandminusesareasfollows:B+means87through89;A-means90through93,etc.
HowtoAccessReadingandListeningMaterials:
ThesyllabusandadditionalreadingsareavailableonBlackbaord: https://blackboard.usc.edu
Ourlibrarydoesnotownrecordingsformostoftheassignedlistening,buttheyareeasily
streamedonSpotifyorAppleMusic,oravailableonYouTube.
Essays:
Youwillsubmittwo(2)essaysduringthesemester.Eachessayshouldcontainbetween1000
and1200words,andshouldreflectonboththemusicalandlyricalcontentofhip-hop.The
essaysarenotresearchassignments.Instead,youwillfocusoncriticalandaesthetic
interpretationswithinformationgleanedfromtheassignedreadings.
StatementforStudentswithDisabilities
Anystudentrequestingacademicaccommodationsbasedonadisabilityisrequiredtoregister
withDisabilityServicesandPrograms(DSP)eachsemester.Aletterofverificationforapproved
accommodationscanbeobtainedfromDSP.Pleasebesuretheletterisdeliveredtome(orto
TA)asearlyinthesemesteraspossible.DSPislocatedinSTU301andisopen8:30a.m.–
5:00p.m.,MondaythroughFriday.WebsiteandcontactinformationforDSP:
http://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/home_index.html,(213)740-0776
(Phone),(213)814-4618(VideoPhone),(213)740-8216(FAX),[email protected].
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StatementonAcademicConductandSupportSystems
AcademicConduct
Plagiarism–presentingsomeoneelse’sideasasyourown,eitherverbatimorrecastin
your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please
familiarizeyourselfwiththediscussionofplagiarisminSCampusinSection11,Behavior
Violating University Standards https://scampus.usc.edu/files/2015/08/SCampus-201516.pdf. Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional
information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct,
http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct/.
Discrimination,sexualassault,andharassmentarenottoleratedbytheuniversity.You
are encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity
http://equity.usc.edu/
or
to
the
Department
of
Public
Safety
http://capsnet.usc.edu/department/department-public-safety/online-forms/contactus.ThisisimportantforthesafetyofthewholeUSCcommunity.Anothermemberof
the university community – such as a friend, classmate, advisor, or faculty member –
canhelpinitiatethereport,orcaninitiatethereportonbehalfofanotherperson.The
Center for Women and Men http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/cwm/ provides 24/7
confidential support, and the sexual assault resource center webpage [email protected]
describesreportingoptionsandotherresources.
SupportSystems
AnumberofUSC’sschoolsprovidesupportforstudentswhoneedhelpwithscholarly
writing. Check with your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose
primary language is not English should check with the American Language Institute
http://dornsife.usc.edu/ali, which sponsors courses and workshops specifically for
international graduate students. The Office of Disability Services and Programs
http://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/home_index.html provides
certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant
accommodations. If an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus
infeasible, USC Emergency Information http://emergency.usc.edu/ will provide safety
and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued by means of
blackboard,teleconferencing,andothertechnology.
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ScheduleandAssignments:
(NB:allreadingandlisteningassignmentsshouldbecompleted*by*thedatelisted,notafter)
Week1
Monday,January11:Introduction:MusicalandCulturalConcepts
Wednesday,January13:Introduction:Howdowetalkabouthip-hopinanacademicsetting?
Hsu,Hua.“Foucault’sTurntable:HipHopScholarsBumrushtheAcademy.”TheVillage
Voice(January8-14,2003).
Week2
Monday,January18(noclass)MartinLutherKing,Jr.Day
Wednesday,January20TheHip-HopGenerationandTheBronx1
Can’tStopWon’tStop,Introduction,Prelude,Chapter1,“Necropolis:TheBronxandthe
PoliticsofAbandonment”
Week3
Monday,January25Jamaica:DubandReggae
Chapter2,“SippleOutDeh:Jamaica’sRootsGenerationandtheCulturalTurn”
Wednesday,January27:TheBronx2
Chapter3,“BloodandFire,withOccasionalMusic:TheGangsoftheBronx”
Week4
Monday,February1Earlyhip-hop1:KoolHercandAfrikaBambaataa
Chapter4,“MakingaName:HowDJKoolHercLostHisAccentandStartedHip-Hop”
andChapter5,“SoulSalvation:TheMysteryandFaithofAfrikaBambaataa”
Wednesday,February3Earlyhip-hop2
Chapter6,“FuriousStyles:TheEvolutionofStyleintheSeven-MileWorld”
QUIZ#1
Week5
Monday,February8Earlyhip-hop3
Chapter7,“TheWorldisOurs:TheSurvivalandTransformationofBronxStyle”
Screeninginclass:
WildStyle,dir.CharlieAhearn(1983)
Wednesday,February10Earlyhip-hop4
Chapter8,“ZulusonaTimeBomb:Hip-HopMeetstheRockersDowntown”
Week6
Monday,February15(noclass)Presidents’Day
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Wednesday,February17Earlyhip-hop5
Chapter9,“1982:RaptureinReagan’sAmerica”
Screeninginclass:
StyleWars,Dir.HenryChalfant(1983)
Week7
Monday,February22
Chapter10,“EndofInnocence:TheFalloftheOldSchool”
QUIZ#2
Wedneday,February24:Afrofuturismandhip-hop
GabrielaJiménez,“’Something2Dance2’:ElectroHopin1980sLosAngelesandIts
AfrofuturistLink.”BlackMusicResearchJournal,Vol.31,No.1(131-44)
SelectionsfromMarkDery,“BlacktotheFuture,”FlameWars(179-222)
Screeninginclass:
TheLastAngelofHistory,Dir.JohnAkomfrah(1996)
Week8
Monday,February29:Post-CivilRightsEraandPublicEnemy1
Chapter11,“ThingsFallApart:TheRiseofthePost-CivilRightsEra”
Wednesday,March2:Post-CivilRightsEraandPublicEnemy2
Chapter12,“WhatWeGottaSay:BlackSuburbia,SegregationandUtopiaintheLate
1980s”
ESSAY1
Week9
Monday,March7Post-CivilRightsEraandPublicEnemy3
Chapter13,“FollowforNow:TheQuestionofPost-CivilRightsBlackLeadership”
Wednesday,March9Turntablism
Screeninginclass:
Scratch,Dir.DougPray(2002)
SPRINGBREAK–March13-20
Week10
Monday,March21:LosAngeles1
Chapter14,“TheCultureAssassins:Geography,GenerationandGangstaRap”
(Requiredviewing)
StraightOuttaCompton(2015)
Wednesday,March23:LosAngeles2
Chapter15,“TheRealEnemy:TheCulturalRiotofIceCube’sDeathCertificate”
(Requiredviewing)
BoyzntheHood(1991)
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Week11
Monday,March28LosAngeles3
Chapter16,“GonnaWorkItOut:PeaceandRebellioninLosAngeles”
QUIZ#3
Wednesday,March30:RapandPoetry
Chapter17“AllintheSameGang:TheWaronYouthandtheQuestforUnity”
Screeninginclass:
SomethingfromNothing:TheArtofRap,Dir.Ice-TandAndyBaybutt(2012)
Week12
Monday,April4Labels,Moguls,andEmpires;Hip-hopCapitalism1
Chapter18,“BecomingtheHip-HopGeneration:TheSource,theIndustry,andtheBig
Crossover”
Wednesday,April6Labels,Moguls,andEmpires;Hip-hopCapitalism2
Chapter19,“NewWorldOrder:Globalization,Containment,andCountercultureatthe
EndoftheCentury”
Week13
Monday,April11Hip-hopmisogyny
TriciaRose,TheHipHopWars(selections)
Wednesday,April13Progressivehip-hop
TriciaRose,TheHipHopWars(selections)
ESSAY2
Week14
Monday,April18Jungle,Trip-hop,andGrime
SimonReynolds,“SoundsofParanoia:Trip-Hop,Tricky,andPre-MillenniumTension”
Wednesday,April20M.I.A.
LynnHirschberg,“M.I.A.’sAgitpropPop”
QUIZ#4
Week15
Monday,April25LosAngeles:OddFuture
Selectedreadings.
Wednesday,April27FinalReview.Reflections.
FINALEXAM(5thQUIZ):May2016
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MUSC420m(Hip-hopMusicandCulture)
QuizGuidelines
Fivequizzeswillbeadministeredthroughoutthesemester.Allquizdatesareannouncedinthe
ClassScheduleoftheSyllabus.Yourfourhighestquizgradeswillbekept;yourlowestquiz
gradewillbedropped.
Format:Eachquizwillbedistributedonpaper.Thereisnoneedtobringyourownpaperor
bluebooks,butyouwillneedtobringyourownwritingimplement(penorpencil).
Thequizcouldaskyouto:
- listentoandcommentonatrackplayedduringthequizperiod,
- answerquestionsrelatingtomaterialcoveredinlecture,
- answerquestionspertainingtoanassignedreading.
HowmuchdoIwrite?:
Goodresponsesareoftennolongerthanonepageinlength,buttherearenominimumor
maximumlengthguidelines.Besuccinct,notflowery.
Howtostudy:Ifyouattendlectureregularlyandstudyyourlecturenotes,andifyoucomplete
therequiredreadingsontime,youwillbemorethanadequatelypreparedtowriteexcellent
answers.Whatcountsisthatyoucandemonstratesomeknowledgeofmusicalcharacteristics,
stylistictraits,andaccuratehistoricalandculturalcontext,givenwhatwehavecoveredinclass.
Scheduling:Quizzeswillbeadministeredonthefollowingdates:
3February
22February
28March
20April
May(finalsweek)
Make-ups
Ifyoudonotattendlecturethedaythatanyquizzesarescheduled,youwillbeallowedtomake
ituponlyifyourabsencewasduetooneofthefollowingreasons:
• adocumentedillness(doctor’sorhealthclinic’snoterequired)
• aUSC-affiliatedsportsevent(coach’sletterrequired;youmustgivemeoneweekof
advancenotice)
• observanceofareligiousholiday(youmustgivemeoneweekofadvancenotice)
Nomake-upswillbepermittedforstudentswhomissanyquizzesduetoGreekevents,work,
otherclassevents(i.e.,labs),etc.
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GradeRubric
Quizzeswillbegradedonaten-pointscale.
An“A”(i.e.,9or10)quizwilldothefollowing:
• demonstratethatyouhavetrulyreadandunderstoodtheargumentsofassigned
readingsthatpertaintoyourquizprompt
• demonstratethatyouhavethoughtabouttheassignedlistening,andareabletodraw
onexamplesfromittodiscussvariousfacetsofhip-hop
• showclearorganization,notjuststream-of-consciousnessordering
• succeedinansweringoraddressingallfacetsofthequizpromptinasatisfactory
manner
A“B”quiz(i.e.,8)willdothefollowing:
• succeedinansweringoraddressingallfacetsofthequizprompt
• showssomefamiliaritywiththeassignedreadingandlistening,butnotenoughtomake
theresponsetotallyconvincing
• showsadequate,butnotcrystalline,organization
A“C”quiz(i.e.,7)willdothefollowing:
• addresssomeofthequizprompt,butnotallofittobeconsideredacompleteresponse
• doesnotdrawonenoughexamplesfromassignedreadingorlisteningtoprovethe
argument
• lacksclearorganization;wandersfromideatoideawithnorealthread
“D”and“F”quizzes(i.e.,6andbelow)willdothefollowing:
• ignorethequizprompt,oraddressissuesnotraisedintheprompt
• failtodrawonanyassignedreadingorlistening
• besoshortasnottocountasadequateresponses
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CourseCalendarOverview
January
11(M)
13
18(M)
20
25(M)
27
February
1(M)
3
8(M)
10
15(M)
17
22(M)
24
29(M)
March
2
7(M)
9
14/16
21(M)
23
28(M)
30
April
4(M)
6
11(M)
13
18(M)
20
25(M)
27
May
Finalsweek
NOCLASS
QUIZ1
NOCLASS
QUIZ2
ESSAY1
SPRINGBREAK
QUIZ3
ESSAY2
QUIZ4
(FinalQuiz-#5)
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