Hip Hop As English Curriculum A

Home , Black Bastards, DJ Yella, Fuck tha Police, Madvillain, Madvillainy, Stones Throw Records

BETWEEN THE LINES: HIP HOP AS ENGLISH CURRICULUM

A THESIS Presented to the University Honors Program California State University, Long Beach

In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the University Honors Program Certificate

William Godbey Spring 2018

Acknowledgements

This thesis would not have been possible without the help and guidance of my advisor,

Professor David Hernandez. This was a somewhat unorthodox topic, yet he not only took it in stride, he believed in my ability to continue the conversation on this topic in a new and insightful way. I owe him great thanks for this.

I would also like to thank my family for their never-ending support and love not only through this process, but through the entirety of my college experience. Especially to my mother, who was always a phone call away if I ever needed assistance or to touch base back home. I owe you all so much for your encouragement and belief in me.

and to Breanika Schwenkler, for always having my back.

ABSTRACT

Between the Lines: Hip Hop as English Curriculum

William Godbey

Spring 2018

This thesis examines the effectiveness of introducing hip hop into English curriculum at a high school level. To showcase this, this thesis presents a framework, broken up into three sections, that highlight the ways hip hop lyrics can be used to teach a variety of different literary devices, historical contexts, and how to analyze a text beyond its surface value. The three sections include

Simple Literary Devices, Complex Literary Devices, and Contexts. Each section is demonstrated with a unique song and artists, to show how this framework could function as well as the versatility of talent in hip hop. This thesis also discusses the various challenges that arise when attempting hip hop education integration, including the barriers of language “appropriateness”, song selection, and potential racial bias. This thesis aims to break down misconceptions about hip hop as both literature and culture and establish a foundation that high school teachers would be able to utilize to teach hip hop lyrics in a manner that is both applicable and insightful.

Between the Lines: Hip Hop as English Curriculum

Introduction

To integrate hip hop into current English curriculum, there must be enough proof that these songs and lyrics can be effective in engaging student learning and critical analysis. To show how this could be done, this thesis will attempt to provide a framework for how such elements could be incorporated into already available curriculum. This framework will be made up of three sections, each deepening in analysis and content. The first will focus on the syntax and technical aspects of the lyrics, to teach students about different simple literary devices. The second will focus on more complex literary devices, such a metaphors and analogies, to teach students how to provide deeper analysis into their critiques. The final section will center on the larger histories and themes of the lyrics, to teach students how to study overarching ideas and historical contexts on literary works. It is the belief of this author that if such frameworks and curriculum prove effective, there could easily be a new unit introduced into most English curriculums that would focus solely on hip hop.

To further explain the reasoning behind the desire to integrate hip hop into English curriculum, hip hop is a culture of language and creativity that is relevant to the modern student.

In the simplest of terms, hip hop is poetry and should be treated as such by academia. This is not to say that every song and lyric merits analysis, but in the same way that certain poems become a part of literary canons, hip hop songs should be subjected to the same critique and standards to select which ones deserve a place in curriculum. There is not a wide enough range of scholars determining these qualifications at this point, so in its place this author suggest a much less 5

rigorous process. In its place, it would be teachers that would select the songs and lyrics that they believe could be useful in teaching a selected lesson or unit. Using the framework provided in this thesis, teachers could select lyrics based on any of the qualifying three sections, to make sure that what they want to teach would be of benefit and accessible to students. This will be discussed more in length further on in this thesis.

For each section, this thesis will provide an example of how one can use a selected set of lines/lyrics to pull out the bits and pieces that fit into each framework. This is to say that a teacher could use one song and use it for all three sections, but for this thesis we will be looking at three separate songs and artists to emphasize the wide range of talented writers in this genre.

In terms of where this curriculum and framework would be targeted, it is this author’s belief that this kind of work and discussion would be best suited for upper level high school students, as certain themes and language in selected songs may not be appropriate for younger students. This is not to say that the language is “inappropriate” only that the language and choice may need to be discussed at a deeper level with students that may need to be more mature to understand the usage. This is only an estimate and if the framework appears to be better suited for higher or lower grade levels than it could easily be adjusted to provide for potential grade changes.

Section I

For the first section, simple literary devices and technical structure, we will be looking at

MF Doom’s song “Accordion.” Renowned for his lyrical ability and relentless delivery, MF

Doom has often been cited as the inspiration for many artists in the genre. At a young age, he was a part of the hip hop group KMD with his brother Subroc. Barely a few days after their album Black Bastards was released, MF Doom’s brother was killed in a freak accident. Doom 6

disappeared for several years after this, and when he reappeared his style and abilities had become honed and extraordinary. His most acclaimed album produced by the prominent Madlib was entitled Madvillain, which the song we will examine comes from. This analysis comes from the first 12 lines of the song:

Accordion by MF Doom

The rest is empty with no brain but the clever nerd (A)

The best emcee with no chain ya ever heard (A)

Take it from the Tec-9 holder (B)

They've bit but don't know their neck shine from Shinola (B)

Everything that glitters ain't fishscale (C)

Lemme think, don't let her faint get Ishmael (C)

A shot of Jack got her back it's not an act stack (D)

Forgot about the cackalack, holla back, clack clack blocka (E)

Villainy, feel him in ya heart chakra, chart toppa (E)

Start shit stoppa be a smart shoppa(E)

Shot a cop day around the way 'bout to stay (F)

But who'd a know there's two mo' (G)

that wonder where the shooter go (G)

Highlighting the lyrics above, we can begin to discuss one of the basic aspects of how poetry and hip hop functions: rhyming. Above we can see multiple examples of this, broken up into two separate categories. The first being the end rhyme, or what the last word of the line is, and how it rhymes with the following or previous end word. This is done to create rhythm, one that travels from line to line to continuously engage the audience. The end rhyme scheme is roughly approximated above by the parenthesized letters. We can see that Doom is basically keeping his rhyme scheme in couplets, or two-line segments that rhyme with each other. In hip hop culture, one couplet is also referred to as a bar, hence when someone can deliver particularly clever wordplay or rhyming they have “bars.” He only steers away from this rhyme pattern in the third stanza, where his rhyme scheme begins to advance in complexity. This is where we see the second category come into play: internal rhyme. This is where writers will rhyme words at any point in a string of lines, sometimes right next to each other or several words apart. This is done to further entrance the audience, and in hip hop is often done to highlight technical ability. This song could be considered an outlier from most other songs, as Doom uses internal rhyme with almost every single line and word, creating a technical masterpiece, yet also works as a great jumping off point when in need of examples of rhyme schemes and wordplay.

Doom also relies on what is called assonance in these lines. Assonance is when one uses words that all have similar sounds. We can see this in strong fashion again in the third stanza of this song, where Doom is flexing his lyrical abilities. He also uses onomatopoeia, when a word mimics a sound, in the second line of the third stanza, perhaps to emphasize the notorious style of his word choice, although this section is far more about the technical structure of the lines, not so much the interpretation. We are also able to see alliteration, where the same word or letter appears multiple times in a line or stanza, especially in line one of stanza two and line four of 8

stanza three. An important aspect to consider when discussing hip hop in the classroom is that while it is easy to point out these devices on paper, there is an advantage to having these literary techniques recorded, so that if needed a teacher would be able to play this song in order to show how these devices are used in real time, in a way that may help enhance a student’s comprehension of the material. This wouldn’t be required, but it could be a good way to introduce students into the song or lyrics being discussed in that class’s lesson.

If a teacher were to play Doom’s song, another important device could be perhaps understood with more clarity, and that is the close rhyme. Although we can see the example on paper, as in most of the red words in lines three and four of the third stanza, it may be better heard than read for some students. The usage of close rhyme is a staple in hip hop lyrics, as it allows for writers to lyrically twist and bend words in ways that the audience wouldn’t expect, leading to perhaps the surprise of a rhyme or an appreciation of the use of close rhyming. There are other artists infamous for use of the close rhyme outside of Doom, Eminem for example, yet its usage is different for every artist, as their own cultural upbringings and heritage may influence the way that they rhyme words on paper and how they are spoken on a record.

Doom’s “Figaro” is a prime example for the many ways in which hip hop lyrics can be used to teach even the simplest of literary devices and techniques. Doom is by no means a

“simple” artist, and his lyrics are rich with material that could fit every section of this framework. In the case of this section, his work can provide an excellent foundation for an introduction to how hip hop is able to not only be used as a source of classroom discussion and lessons, but as an example of when an artist is able to exceed their medium and be lauded for it.

Section II

The second section of this framework focuses on the more complex literary devices, ones that extend beyond the technical aspects and begin to explore the world the piece interacts with.

For this section, this author has selected Kendrick Lamar’s song, “For Free?” from his album To

Pimp A Butterfly. Currently one of the most prominent artists in hip hop, due to both his content and lyrical ability, Kendrick Lamar has cemented himself as a cornerstone of hip hop at its highest form of artistry. Born in Compton, Lamar often reflects on the violent culture he grew up in, and how it has shaped him to transcend it. This transcendence has been an integral part of his music, as he acknowledges that he is both separate and a part of the culture he was raised in. The song, “For Free?” examines his reflections on his worth, and whether America is valuing him:

For Free? By Kendrick Lamar

This dick ain't free

You lookin' at me like it ain't a receipt

Like I never made ends meet

Eating your leftovers and raw meat

This dick ain't free

Livin' in captivity raised my cap salary

Celery, tellin' me green is all I need

Evidently all I seen was Spam and raw sardines

This dick ain't free, I mean, baby

You really think we could make a baby named Mercedes 10

Without a Mercedes Benz and twenty-four inch rims

Five percent tint, and air conditioning vents?

Hell fuckin' naw, this dick ain't free

I need forty acres and a mule

Not a forty ounce and a pit bull

We would still be able to discern the similar patterns of rhyme and line structuring as we did with the first song, but for this section we want to be able to look at what Lamar is referring to, and how he develops an idea through repetition. Starting with the opening line, Kendrick references the fact that his member is not, “free”. This is a metaphor for Kendrick’s worth, or value to society. As he expands upon in the lines following, he feels as if he has been struggling for too long, and he will not allow his contributions and work for society to be undervalued any longer. Some might find this line a little garish, yet one interpretation could be that Kendrick is being so crude to express his frustration. He is not willing to approach this idea in a professional manner, instead choosing to say what he feels without pulling any punches. It could also be a way to show that his worth is as valuable to him as a part of his body, and one that is a highly valued as this specific body part is.

He builds upon this idea of worth in line six of the stanza, where he believes his life and hardships have increased his cap salary. This is about the contracts often negotiated for professional athletes. A cap salary is the maximum amount of money a player can be offered. By using this reference, Kendrick is stating that because of his struggles, his value and what he should be paid has increased. He also is using this reference to show how he considers himself on the same level as a professional athlete, one who has put in their effort and time and has 11

earned a larger paycheck. Another term for these references are called allusions, when someone refers to an idea or thing either directly or indirectly stating it. In this case we have an indirect allusion, as Kendrick makes no mention of professional athletes or salaries, relying on the audience to understand his meaning. We can see another example of allusion at the end of these lines, where he speaks of forty acres and forty ounces. This is an allusion that runs deeps into the annals of American history. At the time of slavery coming to an end, Union general William

Sherman promised that at the end of the Civil War, slaves would be paid what is called reparations, or payment for hardships endured. In this case, Sherman promised that each slave would be given forty acres of land and a mule, to give slaves something solid to start their lives with. Unfortunately, when the war ended President Johnson refused to act upon Sherman’s promise, and the idea of reparations for slavery has existed ever since. In this instance, Kendrick

Lamar is playing on the idea of reparations, saying that he wants the forty acres and mule instead of the forty-ounce bottle of alcohol and a pit bull, both common stereotypes of growing up in a rougher community. There’s an even darker tone to this, as Kendrick appears to be demanding this from Uncle Sam and America, but the idea of forty acres and a mule can be representative of a broken promise to its people, so Kendrick may be asking for something he knows he may never get.

We are also able to understand Kendrick’s diction in these lines, and how it informs the tone of the entire song. Particularly with his use of curse words as well as his insistence on his member not being free, we can interpret that Kendrick’s tone is an angry one in this piece, or at the very least exasperated. An interesting aspect of bringing hip hop into the classroom, is that while we can interpret a writer’s tone by their written words, there is also the option for the 12

teacher to play the song, so there can be an even further understanding of how an artist conveys their emotions into a song.

We can also examine how Kendrick uses imagery in these lines. There are two types we can see in this section. The first, and more prominent, use is that of concrete imagery, where objects, people, and places are described to pull the audience in by giving them something concrete to relate to or follow. In the case of this song, we see a large amount of concrete imagery, leading from the main refrain, to the raw sardines, to the Mercedes Benz, and the pit bull/mule line at the end. Kendrick could be doing this to directly describe instances of what he believes constitute or contrast with ideas of wealth in America. In this instance, he sees cars, money, and the forty acres/mule as several ways in which he sees wealth being represented. This is contrasted with the raw meat and pit bulls to show what examples of poverty in America may be like. He also uses abstract imagery, which focuses on ideas and intangible things, to connect with the audience on an emotional or psychological level. Kendrick uses the image of cap salary and the idea of free as example of this. By doing so, he gives the audiences a representation of what it means to achieve success and acknowledgement of one's worth.

As seen by this example, Section Two of the framework allows for a deeper exploration of the lines in a song, showing students that while rhyme scheme and simple literary devices are important, to be able to look at meaning beyond structure is the next step in interpreting a literary work.

Section III

The final section of the framework could arguably be the most important. This section focuses on context, as in not just how the song interacts with the world, but understanding how the world may have inspired, or resulted in the song in the first place. Teachers will be able to 13

use this section to provide lessons on themes, overarching ideas, and how history can be woven into a piece of work.

For the hip hop community, its roots originated out of the African American communities in both New York and Los Angeles, before spreading across the country. Due to the continuous oppression and discriminations of black communities by various systems and groups, oftentimes hip hop addresses these issues, both to express their frustrations as well as raise awareness for the problems that are overlooked by mainstream society. One of the most prominent examples of artists using their platform and art to share their reality is none other than N.W.A. An acronym for Niggaz Wit Attitudes, this supergroup composed of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, MC Ren, and

DJ Yella. They made waves in hip hop culture and America by delivering lyrics filled with the rough street life and the injustices handed to them frequently by their environment and the Los

Angeles Police Department. At the time, there was a large shift in hip hop music, as the earlier artists had focused more on their rhyming ability and appeal to mainstream audiences. N.W.A. did not care about any of this, choosing to sacrifice potential appeal for the truth. It was this pursuit of truth that led them to become massive hits and are still regarded today as some of the pioneers of topical lyrics, but of the sounds they produced on their albums. For this section, we will be looking at one of their most famous songs, “Fuck Tha Police.” This song deals with the issues of racial profiling and police brutality by the LAPD, and the section we will be looking at was written and performed by Ice Cube:

Fuck Tha Police by N.W.A.

Fuck the police! Comin' straight from the underground

A young nigga got it bad ‘cause I'm brown

And not the other color, so police think

They have the authority to kill a minority

Fuck that shit, ‘cause I ain't the one

For a punk motherfucker with a badge and a gun

To be beating on, and thrown in jail

We can go toe-to-toe in the middle of a cell

Fuckin' with me ‘cause I'm a teenager

With a little bit of gold and a pager

Searchin' my car, lookin' for the product

Thinkin' every nigga is sellin' narcotics

Not holding any punches, Ice Cube immediately informs the audience that simply because of the color of his skin, he will have a harsher life. This song was specifically made in the 1980s, when one could argue that police brutality was snowballing in Los Angeles. The

Rodney King riots were only a few years away, and this song perfectly captures that feeling of anger having built up for so long in the black community. Another big issue during this time was the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which allowed for the minimum drug crime sentencing to be increased. This disproportionately affected those in low-income areas and minorities, further strengthening the feelings of discontent towards the police and American government by these 15

communities. In this song, we not only see these emotions portrayed, we see Ice Cube saying that not only should this unfair discrimination stop, but they are going to react with whatever force necessary to achieve freedom from these hardships. This caused a lot of controversy during its time as many felt that the message was muddled by the ideas of violence that went along with it. Many disagreed however, feeling that such violence was only a result of being marginalized for so long. In fact, around the time this song was released, N.W.A. received a letter from the

F.B.I. warning them against further performances of the song as they believed it would incite violence. Perhaps this kind of reaction and shock were exactly what N.W.A. had intended: a widespread conversation about the brutality and mistreatment often overlooked by the media and public. We can also see in the song how Ice Cube references ways in which black men like him are stereotyped, particularly in the last four lines. Simply because one wears gold or has a pager doesn’t mean that they are doing anything illegal, and Cube portrays that idea effectively.

Another interesting theme of this song, is the skits. In them, the song portrays that these lyrics take place in a courtroom setting, where instead of Ice Cube and the other members being on trial, instead they have white police officers on trial, expressing through their lyrics how they have wronged them and why they are guilty of brutality. This is an interesting setting to give the audience, as it subverts the traditional idea of a courtroom and gives the power to the people most impacted by it and taking power away from those who N.W.A. believe are abusing it. We can also see that Ice Cube is creating a theme of resistance and anger in the face of oppression.

He does not directly reference that he himself is the speaker, giving a sense to the audience that this could be any minority expressing these sentiments, perhaps to enhance that this feeling is larger than just Ice Cube and N.W.A. 16

As seen with this analysis, a teacher would be able to use this final section to teach a combination of themes and larger ideas, as well as cultural and historical contexts that come wrapped up within a song. This allows for teachers to not only take students on deeper steps to analyzing literature, it helps show that hip hop also has timestamps of history and thematic ideas that could provide efficient academic discussions in the classroom.

Challenges

There are obstacles that come with trying to bring hip hop into the classroom. One of the major issues that many people have with hip hop is that of language and themes that are considered obscene. Hip hop often is categorized as being inappropriate and not suitable for classrooms, or even for young adults to listen to. This misconception is most likely a large factor for why hip hop is not discussed in classrooms or literary canons. This is arguably a strange misconception, for while there certainly are songs and lyrics that would not merit analysis, the ones that do should not be excluded simply because the themes and language they provide are not deemed appropriate. If we look at other works in the literary canon, such as The Great

Gatsby or Catcher in the Rye, these books both have cursing and dark themes. Yet, they are still taught in classrooms for their supposed value and contribution to the canon. This is not to discredit them, but to show how there may be a double standard when comparing different mediums of literature. There needs to be the maturity from school administrations and teachers to be able to bring these texts into the classroom and create a thoughtful discussion for why certain words are chosen, maybe going so far as to discuss why these words are considered bad or harmful in the first place. One of the biggest instances in hip hop of word choice causing conflict is the “n-word”. In the case of hip hop, many who may not have direct association or experience with the culture may find the use of this word distasteful. The irony of that, is the 17

word is used not to directly reference its roots in racism and slavery, but to instead reclaim the word, making it a term of endearment, or at the very least synonymous with the word friend.

This of course is not the case for every use of the word, but again it all boils down to the teacher taking the responsibility to not only discuss the context of word usage, but how the word’s meaning has changed over time. This is just one example for how to properly discuss heavy language and themes in hip hop without immediately discrediting the whole because of the parts.

Another obstacle that will need to be tackled further down the line is how to determine which songs should be selected to make sure there is enough literary merit to warrant analysis.

This is more of a subjective difficulty, yet there needs to some way of ensuring songs aren’t selected simply based on their novelty or their overly goofy subject matter. At this point, as hip hop in curriculum is still a burgeoning field, the best option at this point is to leave the selection up to the teachers. A lack of hip hop scholars creating hip hop canons means that teachers should have the ability to select the songs they wish to use. This could be done by referring to this framework and deciding which songs they believe could be used to teach a specific lesson or literary device. This method was similar to how this author selected the songs to showcase in this thesis. A teacher would easily be able to select a song that they deem to have enough material that could be used to teach a lesson. This is only a temporary solution, and a more permanent one would be having a large group of hip hop scholars, community members, etc. work together on deciding a collection of works that could be easily referred to and pulled upon, updated yearly.

This may be a step not yet accessible, so it is the hope that a thesis like this will continue this discussion in the hopes of achieving this reality.

Final Discussions

Not so much a roadblock as much as a mindset, but the reality is that hip hop lyrics and songs have been making their way into classroom discussion. Unfortunately, it is often the case that these songs are used not as the teaching foundation, but as a bridge to another text or unit.

One example could be using a hip hop song to transition to a unit on the book Things Fall Apart.

This has been an important step, to get hip hop’s foot in the door, yet now there needs to be a seat at the table. The transition from being a stepping stone to the unit itself is a necessary one, hopefully going against the mindset that a transitory tool is all hip hop can be.

The stigmas against hip hop perhaps stem from the same ideology that has caused so much of the hardship and oppression that hip hop music often speaks about. The idea that hip hop is somehow a lesser form of art or music simply because it doesn’t sound the way that some perceive music to sound like, should not mean that it should be ranked beneath them. Again, this can be more of a subjective issue, but is one that is clearly prominent otherwise hip hop would perhaps have a larger role in education.

This is also an important issue to have hip hop in the classroom, as often times music created by minorities or those who do not fit the mainstream ideas of a musician, are shunned in discussions of literary merit. By increasing awareness of what hip hop music and culture has to offer in terms of education, the ability to introduce these works into classrooms and schools will be much easier and will perhaps be encouraged. This will in turn help bring awareness for minority issues that might have been overlooked by schools and communities. There any many issues that need to be dealt with regarding minorities, racism, and oppression and by having hip hop in the classroom, it would perhaps help students to understand or empathize with struggles that they may not have known of otherwise. 19

Another advantage that hip hop would bring to the classroom, is that hip hop is one of the most popular music genres right now, especially among young adults. By bringing hip hop lyrics into English curriculum, a student could be listening to a song on the radio, and then be able to go into the classroom to discuss the deeper meanings of the song. By students, or at least some of them, having already established a connection to the material or just the genre makes teaching the material in class easier and allows for smoother discussions to occur if the students have already invested time into hearing the work. Hip hop now is accessible for students, it's something that they can relate to and not feel as if they are being force fed literature that they are not interested in learning or understanding. This is not to say that this curriculum to a student’s whims on what they want to learn, only that hip hop may be a way to engage students in areas they may otherwise not have interest in. As in the previous paragraph, by bringing hip hop into the classroom, this may help minority students who may feel the material they constantly study has no bearing or meaning in their lives. With hip hop, these students may feel they have a stronger connection to their classroom discussions and material and may appreciate the topics of these songs being discussed in school.

To be clear, this thesis is not trying to undermine or subvert the current literary canon.

Attempting to include hip hop in classrooms is by no means an attempt to remove works of literature that have already been established as having value in the classroom. Simply, this thesis is trying to show how hip hop lyrics can also fill similar roles that poetry already does in the classroom, yet with a more updated perspective. Already established writers such as

Shakespeare, Langston Hughes, and Emily Dickinson already contribute valuable insight into the creation and function of masterful literature. This thesis is suggesting that writers such as

Kendrick Lamar, MF Doom, and N.W.A. need to be included among them. There is more than 20

enough evidence in these artists’ songs to show what kinds of excellent contributions they would make to a classroom environment. Hip hop deserves a place in a literary canon, so students can learn from the next generation of poets and artists.

Hip hop, as shown by this thesis, has a wealth of information and literary merit, enough so that not taking steps to include it in classrooms would be a waste of material. While this thesis isn’t intended to address what steps are necessary to getting hip hop curriculum into the classroom, one could assume it would involve reaching out to state governments, school administrations, and teachers themselves to start the process of accustoming to hip hop in the classroom. For now, until those steps are taken, one of the crucial ways to raise awareness about introducing this new section of curriculum, is to simply continue having people create articles, discussions, studies, even theses such as this one to help foster the idea that hip hop is not just a cultural movement, it is an academic one. It is the belief of this author that this thesis will give teachers, and those reading this framework, a foundation for how to bring hip hop into its next evolution: literary material that demands recognition in education.

Works Cited:

Duckworth, Kendrick. “For Free?”. To Pimp a Butterfly. Top Dawg Entertainment, 2015, Track

Dumlie, Daniel. “Figaro”. Madvillainy. Stones Throw Records, 2004, Track 14.

Jackson, O’Shea and Patterson, Lorenzo. “Fuck Tha Police”. Straight Outta Compton. Ruthless

Records, 1988, Track 2.

“Madvillain – Figaro.” Genius, 26 Jul. 2014, genius.com/Madvillain-figaro-lyrics.

“Kendrick Lamar – For Free? (Interlude).” Genius, 16 Mar. 2015, genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-

for-free-interlude-lyrics.

“N.W.A – Fuck Tha Police.” Genius, 1 Dec. 2014, genius.com/Nwa-fuck-tha-police-lyrics.