ENG 350: THE HISTORY OF HIP-HOP
With your host, Dr. Russell A. Potter, a.k.a. Professa RAp
Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:00-9:00, Craig-Lee 252
http://350hiphop.blogspot.com/
In its rise to the top of the American popular music scene, Hip-hop has taken on all comers, and issued beatdown after beatdown. Yet how many of its fans today know the origins of the music? Sure, people might have heard something of Afrika Bambaataa or Grandmaster Flash, but how about the Last Poets or Grandmaster CAZ? For this class, we’ve booked a ride on the wayback machine which will take us all the way back to Hip-hop’s precursors, including the Blues, Calypso, Ska, and West African griots. From there, we’ll trace its roots and routes through the ‘parties in the park’ in the late 1970’s, the emergence of political Hip-hop with Public Enemy and KRS-One, the turn towards “gangsta” style in the 1990’s, and on into the current pantheon of rappers. Along the way, we’ll take a closer look at the essential elements of Hip-hop culture, including Breaking (breakdancing), Writing (graffiti), and Rapping, with a special look at the past and future of turntablism and digital sampling. Our one required textbook, Bradley and DuBois’s Anthology of Rap (Yale University Press) is AVAILABLE AT THE OFF-CAMPUS BOOKSTORE ON SMITH ST. Films shown in part or in whole will include Bamboozled, Style Wars, The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy, Wild Style, and Zebrahead; there will also be a Blog with a discussion board and a wide array of links to audio and text resources.
WRITTEN WORK: An informal response to our readings and listenings is due each week on the blog. There will also be one formal written paper of 4-6 pages in length, as well as a final in-class individual or group presentation in the final week. Course Books
LIST I: ESSENTIAL READING: You should get yourself at least one of these, and two if you can manage it. Those marked Out of Print (OOP) can usually be had for a reasonable price at zShops, abebooks, or alibris.
1. David Toop, Rap Attack IV (III or II are fine as well -- each adds just a small amount of additional material at the end) (OOP) Toop’s is far and away the best and most engaging history of the dawn of the Hip-hop era, written at a time when, by Toop’s own account, the best way to get a hold of a well-known rapper or DJ was to call their mom. 2. Jim Fricke, Yes, Yes, Y'all: The Experience Music Project's Oral History of Hip-hop's First Decade (OOP) Fricke’s book is jam packed with the documentary traces of the dawn of Hip-hop – fliers for concerts, battles, and jams – and includes first-person testimony from many of the genre’s originators. 3. Tricia Rose, Black Noise One of the first, and the most accessible, academic histories of Hip-hop. 4. The VIBE History of Hip-Hop (OOP) Slick, well-illustrated, and better than you might expect; Vibe’s writers were the best during the “Golden Age” of Hip-hop from 1993 onwards. 5. S. H. Fernando Jr., The New Beats: Exploring the Music, Culture, and Attitudes of Hip-Hop (OOP) Fernando was, and is, one of the best new young journalists of the Hip-hop generation. 6. Jeff Chang, Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation A broader cultural history, thoughtful and well-written.
LIST II: USEFUL SUPPLEMENTAL READING: These books are all solid, but some address just one aspect of Hip-hop, or one related issue to the larger histories of African-American culture and Black music generally. NOTE: Books marked with an asterisk (*) are available FREE via the RI College Library’s “eBrary” page. Try to track down 1 or 2 that connect with your interests.
1. Nelson George, The Death of Rhythm and Blues; Hip-hop America 2. Adam Bradley, Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip-hop * 3. Tricia Rose, Hip-Hop Wars * 4. That's the Joint: The Hip-hop Studies Reader 5. Brian Cross, It's Not About a Salary: Rap, Race & Resistance in Los Angeles (OOP) 6. Michael Eric Dyson, Know What I Mean? Reflections on Hip-hop. * 7. Raquel Rivera, New York Ricans from the Hip-Hop Zone. * 8. Henry Louis Gates, The Signifying Monkey 9. Brian Coleman, Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies 10. Roni Sarig, Third Coast: How Hip-hop Became a Southern Thing 11. Eric Lott, Love and Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the American Working Class 12. Dick Hebdige, Cut 'n; Mix: Culture, Identity, and Caribbean Music 13. Iceberg Slim, Pimp 14. Gil Scott-Heron, Now and Then: The Poems of Gil Scott-Heron 15. Abiodun Oyewole, On a Mission: Selected Poems and a History of the Last Poets (OOP) 16. Wang and Ross, Classic Material: The Hip-hop Album Guide * 17. Roger Gastman and Caleb Neelon, The History of American Graffiti 18. Geneva Smitherman, Talkin’ that Talk: African-American Language and Culture. * 20. Charise Cheney, Brothers Gonna Work It Out: Sexual Politics in the Golden Age of Rap. * CLASS SCHEDULE
WEEK I: Tuesday and Wednesday INTRODUCTION TO CLASS. THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN REPRESENTATION AND MUSIC. • Blackface Minstrelsy • Commodification of “Black” Culture • The “Comic Negro” and the “Tragic Negro” IN-CLASS VIEWING: William Frawley Clip; Spike Lee, Bamboozled IN-CLASS LISTENINGS: Imperial Minstrels (1901); Bert Williams, “Nobody” (1905). Suggested Supplemental Readings: Lott, “Love and Theft”; Zora Neale Hurston, “How it feels to be Colored Me”; History of Minstrelsy from Musicals101 (Blog Links).
WEEK I: Thursday. Black Voices on the Air. • “Crazy Blues” and the birth of “Race” Record • Black Vaudeville (“The Chitlin’ Circuit”) • The Role of Black Radio In-Class Viewings: Black Vaudeville routines: “The Police,” Hamhock Harvey & Jud, “How that brother is.” In-Class Listenings: “Crazy Blues,” “Terrible Operation Blues,” “Butterbeans & Susie,” “Shave ‘em Dry,” Early DJ Airchecks (Dr. Hepcat, Mad Daddy, Poppa Stoppa, et. al.) Supplemental readings: History of Black Radio at Urban Radio Nation (blog Link); History of Sound Technology (blog link); Nelson George, from The Death of Rhythm & Blues, chapter 2, “Black Voices in the Night, 1930-1950.”
WEEK II: Monday-Tuesday The Classic Era of R&B; The Signifyin’ Monkey and the Roots of Rap. In-Class Listenings: James Brown, “It’s A Man’s World,” “Stay in School,”Lyn Collins (The Female Preacher), “Think (About it)”; Johnny Otis, “Signifyin’ Monkey”; Dolomite, “Signifyin’ Monkey RAP”; Carla Thomas and Otis Redding, “Tramp,” The Pharcyde, “Ya Mama.” Supplemental Readings: Readings: Nelson George, The Death of Rhythm and Blues; Gates, The Signifying Monkey; Potter, “Soul into Hip-Hop” (Blog Link).
WEEK II: Wednesday. The Caribbean Connection. Readings: In-Class Listenings: Lord Invader, “Rum and Coca-Cola,” The Lion: “Burn Down the London Theatre,” “I’m Going to Buy a Bungalow”; Atilla the Hun, “I Don’t Want No Bunaglow”; Mighty Sparrow, “Doh touch Meh President,” “Death of Martin Luther King,” Prince Buster, “Judge Dred,” “Ten Commandments of Love,” Worl-A-Girl, “10 Commandments,” U-Roy, “Wake the Town,” Tiger and Q-Tip, “Who Planned it?” Supplemental Readings: Dick Hebdige, Cut ‘n’ Mix: Culture, Identity, and Caribbean Music; Potter, “Roots ‘n’ Rap” columns on Prince Buster, Bob Marley, and Calypso (Links at our course Blog).
WEEK II: Thursday. BLACK ARTS AND THE DAWN OF RAP. In-Class Viewing: Right On! Featuring the Original Last Poets. In-Class Listenings: The Last Poets, “Run, Nigger,” excerpt from “Hustler’s Convention,” “Blessed are those who Struggle”; Gil Scott-Heron, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” “Whitey on the Moon”; The Watts Prophets, “Them Niggaz Ain’t Playin’” Supplemental Readings: Gil Scott-Heron, Now and Then: The Poems of Gil Scott-Heron; Abiodun Oyewole, On A Mission; Potter, “Roots ‘n’ Rap” Columns on The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron (Blog Links).
WEEK III: Monday. OLD SCHOOL THROWDOWN. IN-CLASS LISTENINGS: Afrika Bambaata, from “Death Mix”; Fatback Band, “King Tim III Personality Jock”; Sugarhill Gang, “Rapper’s Delight”; Jimmy Spicer, “Adventures of Super Rhymes,” Paulette and Tanya Winley, “Vicious Rap”; Kurtis Blow, “The Breaks”; Grandmaster Flash, “The Message”; Roxanne Shanté, “Runaway”; Juice Crew Allstars: “The Bridge”; Boogie Down Productions, “The Bridge is Over,””South Bronx,”“Criminal Minded.” (Items in boldface have lyrics in AOR). Supplemental Readings: Toop, Rap Attack; Frick, Yes, Yes, Y’All; Potter, Spectacular Vernaculars, Chapter 1 “Gettin’ Present as an Art” (blog link)
WEEK III: Tuesday: Writin’: IN-CLASS VIEWING: “STYLE WARS,” excerpts from “Wild Style.” Supplemental reading: Gastman and Neelon, The History of American Graffiti, Art Crimes website (linked from blog).
WEEK III: Wednesday: Breakin’: In-Class Viewing: Excerpts from “The Freshest Kids.” Supplemental reading: Rivera, New York Ricans from the Hip-Hop Zone.
WEEK III: Thursday: Rocking the Bells: Hip-Hop’s transition to the New School. In-class listenings: LL Cool J, “Rock the Bells”; Run-DMC “Peter Piper”; Big Daddy Kane, “Raw”; NWA “Fuck the Police”; Beastie Boys, “Fight for your Right to Party”; Public Enemy, “Party for your Right to Fight,” “Miuzi Weighs a Ton.”(Items in boldface have lyrics in AOR).
WEEK IV: Monday: The Golden Age of Political Rap. In-class listenings: Brother D: “How We Gonna Make the Black Nation Rise?”; Public Enemy, “Fight the Power”; Ice-T, “Freedom of Speech”; WC and the MAAD Circle, “Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed”; KRS-ONE, “Sound of da Police,” “Why is that?”; Paris, “The Devil Made Me Do It,” “Bush Killa”; George Clinton, “Paint the White House Black”; Ice Cube, “I Wanna Kill Sam” The Goats, “Not Your Typical American”; The Coup: “Kill My Landlord”, “Fat Cats Bigga Fish.” Supplemental readings: Potter, Spectacular Vernaculars, chapter 4, “History/Spectacle/Resistance” (linked from blog).
WEEK IV: Tuesday: Sisters in the Name of Rap. In-class listenings: Lady B, “To The Beat, Y’all”; Roxanne Shanté, “Runaway,” “Roxanne’s Revenge”; “Year of the Independent Woman”; MC Lyte, “I Cram to Understand U Sam,” “Ruffneck”; Queen Latifah and Monie Love, “Ladies First”; MC Choice, “The Big Payback”; Salt ‘n’ Pepa, “Tramp”; Ice Cube and Yo Yo, “It’s a Man’s World”; Nikki D, “Daddy’s Little Girl”; Bo$$, “I Don’t Give a Fuck”; BWP, “Two Minute Brother”; May May Ali, “Ali.” Supplemental reading: Cheney, Brothers Gonna Work It Out.
WEEK IV: Wednesday: Moral Panic and the Rise of “Gangsta” Rap. In-class listenings: Ice T, “Cop Killer,” “Home Invasion”; Ice Cube, “The Shot,” “Really Doe”; Da Lench Mob, “Guerillas in tha Mist”; 2Pac, “How do U Want It”; Channel Live with KRS-ONE, “Mad Izm”; Notorious B.I.G., “Ready to Die.” Supplemental readings: Potter, Spectacular Vernaculars, chapter 3: The Pulse of the Rhyme Flow”; Mathieu Deflem, “Rap, Rock and Censorship: Popular Culture and the Technologies of Justice” (both linked from blog).
WEEK IV: Thursday: NO CLASS
WEEK V: Monday: Origins of West Coast Hip-hop and the Rise of the Producer In-class listenings: The Egyptian Lover, “Egypt, Egypt”; Ice-T, “The Coldest Rap,” “6 in the Morning”; 2 Live Crew, “2 Live”; Captain Rapp, “Bad Times (I Can’t Stand it)”; The World Class Wreckin Cru, “Slice”; Mellow Man Ace, “Brother with Two Tongues”; Kid Frost, “Terminator”; Dr. Dre, “Nuthin’ but a G Thang”; Snoop Dogg, “Gin and Juice.” Supplemental Readings: Cross, It’s Not About a Salary. WEEK V: Tuesday: Dirty South: Hip-hop’s Center of Gravity Headz Home. In- class listenings: Arrested Development, “Tennessee”; 12 Gauge, “Dunkie Butt”; Geto Boys, “Making Trouble”; Trina, “Da Baddest Bitch”; Trick Daddy, “I’m a Thug”; Outkast, “Crumblin’ Erb”; Three 6 Mafia, “Late Night Trip”; David Banner, “Get Crunk”; Ludacris, “You got a Problem?,” “Southern Hospitality.” Supplemental readings: Sarig, Third Coast: How Hip-hop Became a Southern Thing
WEEK V: Wednesday: Strange things in the mix: Jazzmatazz, Alterno-Rap, Horrorcore, and More. In-class listenings: Greg Osby, “Gutterman”; Ornette Coleman, “Search for Life”; Herbie Hancock, “Rockit,” “Dis is da Drum”; Guru, selections from Jazzmatazz Vols. I and II; De La Soul, “Plug Tunin’” The Fugees, “Boof Baf”; A Tribe Called Quest: “Ham ‘n’ Eggs, ”Award Tour”; “Gravediggaz, “1-800-Suicide”; Insane Clown Posse, “Ghetto Freakshow.”
WEEK V: Thursday: Global Hip-hop. In-class listenings: Zimbabwe Legit, “Doin’ Damage in my Native Language”; MC Solaar, “Nouveau Western”; Daara J, “Paris Dakar”; London Posse, “How’s Life in London?”; The Streets, “Empty Cans”; Dizzee Rascal, “Stand Up Tall”; Lady Sovereign, “Gatheration,” Scha Dara Parr (スチャダラパ), “Super Dust Brothers”; MC Hotdog, 無路用的人 (Useless Guy).
WEEK VI: Monday: Hip-Hop, sampling, and intellectual property law. Listenings: 1) Classic Samples: Incredible Bongo Band, “Apache”; The Honey Drippers, “Impeach the President”; James Brown, “Give It Up or Turn It Loose,” “Funky Drummer”; The Meters, “Cissy Strut,” “Same Old Thing.” 2) Disputed Sounds: David Bowie and Queen, “Under Pressure”; Vanilla Ice, “Ice Ice Baby”; Gilbert O’Sullivan, “Alone Again (Naturally); Biz Markie, “Alone Again”; Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman”; 2 Live Crew, “Pretty Woman.”
WEEK VI: Tuesday: The Present and Future of Hip-Hop. In-class listenings TBA.
WEEK VI: Wednesday: Final Presentations
WEEK VI: Thursday: Final Presentations; Final Paper due.