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Home , Action Bronson, Chicago hip hop, Chief Keef, Fetty Wap, Geto Boys, Jay Electronica

************************************************************* Music of : -Decoded MUS 307/AFR 317

Summer 2020 ONLINE! (Synchronous & Asynchronous) MTWThF 11.30-1pm (but we will not be meeting everyday at these times)

Instructor: Dr. Charles Carson [email protected] (but please use Canvas) : @UT_Doc_C 512.232.9448 Virtual Office hours: W 1-2pm, or by appointment

I. Course Description: Generally speaking, this course is an introduction to the musical, social, cultural, and political aspects of Hip Hop culture in the US, as interpreted through the history and development of its musical style.

II. Course Aims and Objectives: Aims Beyond increasing familiarity with African American music and culture, a major goal of this course is to provide you with the tools to coexist--and indeed thrive--in a global context.

Specific Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, students will: ● Be able to recognize and describe general elements of African American cultural practices, including instruments/media, performance practice, and aesthetics.

● Discuss the ways in which these elements have influenced (and continue to influence) contemporary US society, especially with respect to hip hop and related genres.

● Critically assess expressions and representations of African American culture in music and media.

● Be able to apply these critical thinking skills in the context of other cultures and contexts, both historical and contemporary.

III. Format and Procedures: This course will blend of real-time (synchronous) and pre-recorded (asynchronous) online lectures. The content will center around a select body of readings, recordings, videos, and other media. Advance preparation is key to

following the content, so please come to class prepared to engage with that day’s materials. Other activities include: quizzes & assignments, and a final project to be explained in class.

IV. My Assumptions I believe that diversity is good for the world. It opens up our eyes to other perspectives and possibilities, and can thus help move humankind forward. I also believe that the understanding of how identity works in general is key to understanding ourselves. While this course will focus primarily upon expressions of African American identity, I hope that we will foster greater patience, understanding, and respect for any and all peoples.

By enrolling in this class, I assume that you are interested in taking such a journey. (By the way, the answer to question #5 on the syllabus quiz is C.) While I don’t expect you to agree with everything you hear, I do expect that you will put the utmost effort towards developing an appreciation for the musics and cultures discussed, as well as an awareness of music’s important role in the enrichment of the human spirit.

This class is NOT intended just for music majors. No previous musical knowledge or experience is required to excel in this course. Keep in mind that listeners make up the largest (and arguably the most powerful) demographic of the music industry, so what you think and feel about the music is important. Music is all around you, and—however unknowingly—you have developed the tools to interpret, discuss, and critique it. This class is intended to hone those skills, augmenting them with information about the music’s technical and cultural contexts.

PLEASE BE PATIENT. The university, your professors, and your teaching assistants are all having to adjust to this situation, too, and we are doing the best we can. There will be bumps and hiccups, but we will all take them in stride. Your grade will not be affected if something goes wrong, so relax and let’s just have some fun. Students who need accommodations due to their unique COVID-related situations should reach out to me immediately, so we can work around them.

A Word About Language Many of the recordings that we will encounter will utilize “colorful” language of various types. Whenever practicable, I have substituted edited versions of some examples if the edits do not dramatically affect the intention, meaning, or aesthetic of the song. However, some examples need to be heard in their original format. Consider this a warning. The inclusion of such examples is not intended to be offensive, merely to represent the realities of the musical soundscapes we are discussing. Furthermore, such content is not to be taken as representing the thoughts, ideas, or perspectives of the instructor, your fellow students, or the university. More detail will be provided in class discussions.

V. Course Requirements: 1. Class attendance and participation policy: a. We recognize that this is a challenging time for all, and we will strive to be flexible and sensitive to the needs of individual students. b. That being said, you will be expected to attend virtual sessions, and demonstrate engagement through a variety of means. c. Attendance will be taken virtually, through session logs and online participation polls. d. Students will be allowed one unexcused absence before their grade will be affected. e. Unexcused absences are any absence for which you do not have a valid, verifiable excuse. These do NOT have to be provided beforehand, but need to be clearly documented. f. YOU are responsible for any content that you miss due to absence, including readings, quizzes, or other activities, but of course we are available to help you access this material. g. Late assignments will not be accepted, except in the case of EXCUSED absences. h. A Word about Conduct in the Virtual Classroom: This course will deal with some touchy issues, including race/ethnicity, class, and gender/sexuality issues. While I want you to feel comfortable to express your thoughts, feelings, and opinions, I ask that please be sensitive to

those around you—we all come from a variety of backgrounds and belief systems (which is critical to the learning experience), and our experiences vary greatly. Students who refuse to be respectful will be asked to leave the sessions. i. At the same time, however, I encourage you to challenge yourself and your assumptions about the world by embracing ideas that may be new or unfamiliar to you. This class should be a safe environment with learning as our primary goal—let’s take advantage of that opportunity. j. If, at any time, you are made to feel uncomfortable, please do not hesitate to bring this to my attention. I am sure we can work through it.

Religious Holy Days By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

2. Course Readings/Materials: ○ Assorted readings, provided by the instructor and available online. ○ Recordings, provided by the instructor and available online. ○ CANVAS course site access (see technology policy)

3. Assignments, Assessment, and Evaluation a. Throughout this course, you will be expected to read and listen regularly. This is not only part of your preparation for this course, but also a part of your musical and intellectual development in general. Readings and listenings assignments on the syllabus are to be completed BY that date. Please come to class prepared to discuss the material assigned for that day, and submit all assignments online in a timely manner. b. The bulk of the coursework will consist of quizzes, reading guides, short assignments, and a one-time “DECODING” final project, which will be explained in class. c. Reading Guides must be completed BEFORE class time on the day the reading is listed on the course calender. No late reading guides will be accepted. d. NO FINAL EXAM for this class. Instead, you will complete a final project, which is due by end of the university scheduled final exam time. This will be submitted online, per the instructions given in class. e. Make-up quizzes will not be given. Should you fall too far behind, see me. Each quiz will be available online for AT LEAST two days, so you should plan to be able to complete them before their due date. f. Students should use the grading rubric below to estimate their progress in the class.

5. Technology Policies a. This class uses CANVAS (https://canvas.utexas.edu). If you are not familiar with it, please take some time NOW to get used to navigating the interface. 99% of course materials, announcements, etc. will be circulated via this courseware. b. This class will be delivered via LAITS own online learning system, Rendezvous. Links will be posted in the appropriate places on Canvas. c. Virtual office hours (as well as one-on-one meetings, by appointment) will be conducted via ZOOM. Students should make sure they are logged into their official UT ZOOM account, via https://utexas.zoom.us

d. This class has a twitter feed (@UT_Doc_C), which I will use to inform you about interesting stories, events, or class updates in real time. While following me is not a requirement, you will want to check the twitter feed periodically. For those of you who do not use Twitter, I have embedded a Twitter feed widget on the main page of Canvas. Since this account is purely for educational purposes, I will not follow you back—nothing personal. e. If you experience any technical issues whilst online, go ahead and email me as soon as possible. The LAITS representatives will handle technology issues, but your timely email to me will be documentation of problems for attendance/participation purposes. f. Last thing: the STUDENT is responsible for their own technology. You wouldn’t ask your dentist to fix your toilet, so don’t ask your music professor to fix your computer. IT Helpdesk offers substantial support for Canvas, email, connectivity, software, and hardware. They can be reached at 475-9400.

VI. Grading Procedures: Grades will be based on:

10% = Attendance & Participation 20% = Reading Guides 40% = Assignments (Quizzes, Discussion Forums, etc.) 30% = Final DECODED Project

Letter grades are computed as follows: 90%=A, 80%=B, 70%=C, 60%=D, and so forth. All pluses and minuses are computed at x3% and x7% (for example, 80%=B-, 83%=B, 87%=B+. The university does not give A+ grades, but you will know in your heart if you are an A+ person.

VII. Academic Integrity

University of Honor Code The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.

Each student in this course is expected to abide by the University of Texas Honor Code. [See the UT Honor Code above.] Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student's own work.

VIII. Other University Notices and Policies

Course Flags This course carries the flag for Cultural Diversity in the . Cultural Diversity courses are designed to increase your familiarity with the variety and richness of the American cultural experience. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one U.S. cultural group that has experienced persistent marginalization.

Email and Communication Policy Email is the primary mode of communication for this course. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that his/her email settings are such that they can receive official email from the university, and more specifically, through Canvas. Please allow a 24 hour turnaround for all emails to the professor. After 24 hours, however, feel free to send it again—it has gotten buried. Of course, I will attempt to answer messages as soon as possible, but last-minute or odd-hour emails will have to wait. In case of an emergency: email me immediately to apprise me of the situation, and then relax—we will work something out. You are always welcome during my virtual office hours, or you can make an appointment.

Documented Disability Statement Any student with a documented disability who requires academic accommodations should contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at (512) 471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (video phone). Faculty are not required to provide accommodations without an official accommodation letter from SSD.

■ Please notify me as quickly as possible if the material being presented in class is not accessible (e.g., instructional videos need captioning, course packets are not readable for proper alternative text conversion, etc.).

■ Contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (video phone) or reference SSD’s website for more disability-related information: http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/for_cstudents.php

Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) If you are worried about someone who is acting differently, you may use the Behavior Concerns Advice Line to discuss by phone your concerns about another individual’s behavior. This service is provided through a partnership among the Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). Call 512-232-5050 or visit http://www.utexas.edu/safety/bcal.

Q drop Policy The State of Texas has enacted a law that limits the number of course drops for academic reasons to six (6). As stated in Senate Bill 1231:

“Beginning with the fall 2007 academic term, an institution of higher education may not permit an undergraduate student a total of more than six dropped courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education, unless the student shows good cause for dropping more than that number.”

DATE Session TOPIC READING LISTENING DUE

M 7/13 1 Case Study #1: "Old Town Road" Jay-Z: Decoded (excerpt), NO READING GUIDE Intro: Course Outline Reilly-Destined to Disrupt, NO READING GUIDE Decoding Hip Hop: 2004: Jay-Z -- "99 Problems" "99 Problems" & "Crack Music" 2004: -- "Crack Music" 2019: Lil X -- "Old Town Road" Case Study #1: "Old Town Road" 2011: Jason Aldean -- "Dirt Road Anthem" [video]

T 7/14 2 Keeping It Real: Tropes and Authenticity The Industry

Copyright

Keeping It Real:Tropes and Authenticity SYLLABUS QUIZ (by Tuesday 8pm) W 7/15 3 The Four Elements: DJ-ing George "Hip Hop's Founding Fathers" 1969: The Winstons: "Amen, Brother" The Set-Up 1970: James Brown -- "Funky Drummer" The Technique 1973: The Incredible Bongo Band --"" 1973: The Incredible Bongo Band -- "Bongo Rock" The "Founding Fathers" 1981: GMF & FF – “Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel”

Tr 7/16 4 The Four Elements: & Hip Hop: Where and Why? Jenkins: "Graffiti"

Graffiti

Breakdancing FILM: BBoy City [online] UNIT - I The Foundations F 7/17 5 The Four Elements: MC-ing Content Edwards, "How Flow Works"

Structure

Flow Styles UNIT I QUIZ (by Sunday 8pm) DATE Session TOPIC READING LISTENING DUE

M 7/20 6 Case Study #2: "The Message" Rose: "Flow, Layering, and Rupture in Postindustrial " 1982: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five – “The Message” Flow, Layering, and Rupture in Post-Industrial NYC

Case Study #2: "The Message"

T 7/21 7 Precursors to Hip Hop Szwed: "The Real Old School" 1968: James Brown -- "Say It Loud--I'm Black and I'm Proud" 1976: George Clinton (w/ Parliament-Funkadelic) -- "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker" Precursors 1974: Keith Hudson -- "Pick A Dub" 1979: Chic -- "Good Times" 1971: Gil Scott Heron -- "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" Film Viewing: Hip Hop Evolution, season 1, ep 1 cont. W 7/22 8 Old Skool Frick & Ahearn: "Rapper's Delight" 1979: Sugar Hill Gang – “Rapper’s Delight” Sugar Hill Gang 1981: GMF & FF – “Superappin'"

1980: Curtis Blow – “The Breaks” Old Skool Hip Hop 1980: Blondie – “Rapture” 1982: & Soulsonic Force – “Planet Rock” 1984: UTFO – “Roxanne, Roxanne” The "Roxanne Wars" 1984: Roxanne Shanté – “Roxanne’s Revenge”

Tr 7/23 9 Transition to New School Michel: "L.L. Cool J" 1984: Rock Master Scott & The Dynamic Three – “The Roof is On ” 1984: – "The Freaks Come Out At Night" UNIT II -UNIT Early II Hip Hop 1985: Schoolly D – “P.S.K.” Transition to New School 1985: Doug E. Fresh & MC Ricky D (Slick Rick) – “La Di Da Di” 1985: LL Cool J – “Just Can’t Live Without My Radio”

F 7/24 10 Film Viewing

Film Viewing: Krush Groove UNIT II QUIZ (by Sunday 8pm) DATE Session TOPIC READING LISTENING DUE

M 7/27 11 Case Study #3: "Walk This Way" The Golden Age: Intro Jones: "Run-D.M.C." 1984: Run DMC – "It's That" Case Study #3: "Walk This Way" 1986: Run DMC (feat. Aerosmith) – “Walk This Way” The Beastie Boys 1986: The Beastie Boys – “The New Style” T 7/28 12 The Golden Age 1986: Ice-T – “6 In The Morning” 1987: – “How Ya Like Me Now” The Golden Age

1986: and DJ Polo – "It's a Demo" 1987: Eric B and Rakim – “Eric B is President” Foundational MCs of the Golden Age 1988: – “Raw” 1988: EPMD – “Strictly Business”

1987: Salt-N-Pepa – “Push It” 1988: MC Lyte – “Paper Thin” Women in the Golden Age 1989: and – "Ladies First" 1992: Sister Souljah – "The Hate That Hate Produced"

W 7/29 13 Edutainment & Activism Rose: "Fear of a Black Planet" 1988: N.W.A. – “Straight Outta Compton” 1988: Boogie Down Productions – “My Philosophy” Edutainment & Activism 1989: Public Enemy – “Fight The Power” 1989: – “My Myself and I”

1985: MC Shan – "the Bridge" 1986: Boogie Down Productions – "South Bronx" The "Bridge Wars"

Basic Recording Techniques

Tr 7/30 14 Hip POP & Native Tongues Diehl: "" 1988: Ton Loc – "Wild Thing" 1989: Young MC – "Bust A Move" Unit III - The Golden Age Golden The - III Unit 1989: Biz Markie – "Just A Friend" 1989: Digital Underground – "Humpty Dance" 1989: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – “Parents Just Don’t Understand” Hip POP & Native Tongues 1990: MC Hammer – “U Can’t Touch This” 1989: De La Soul – 'Me, Myself, and I" 1990: Vanilla Ice – “Ice, Ice, Baby” 1991: – ""

1989: De La Soul – "Transmitting Live from Mars" 1991: Biz Markie – "Alone Again" Sampling

F 7/31 15 Film Viewing

Film Viewing: Copyright Criminals UNITY III QUIZ (by Sunday 8pm) DATE Session TOPIC READING LISTENING DUE

M 8/3 16 Case Study #4: "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" Hess: "Death Row Records and G-" 1989: The D.O.C. – "No One Can Do It Better" The Modern Era 1990: Ice Cube – "Amerikkka's Most Wanted" 1992: Dr. Dre (feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg) – “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” Case Study #4: "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" 1993: Snoop Doggy Dogg – "Gin & Juice"

Tupac and Snoop 1992 [1998]: 2Pac – “Changes” 1996: 2Pac (feat. ) – “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” T 8/4 17 Film Viewing

Film Viewing: Straight Outta Compton

W 8/5 18 The Empire (State) Strikes Back Bry: "Resurgence of NY" 1993: Wu-Tang Clan – “Protect Ya Neck” The Empire (State) Strikes Back 1995: – “Shook Ones, Pt. II” 2000: DMX – "Party Up (Up In Here)" 1994: The Notorious B.I.G. – “Hypnotize” The Kings of New York: Biggie, Nas, and Jay-Z 1994: Nas – “The World Is Yours” 1996: Jay-Z – “Can I Live?”

East Coast vs West Coast

Tr 8/6 19 Regional Hip Hop in the US Cheney: " Hip Hop" (excerpts) 2000: – "The Light" 2006: – "Kick, Push" The Midwest: "Young & Restlessless" (Chicago) 2012: – ""

1997: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – "The Crossroads" 1999: – """" The Midwest: "Detroit vs Everybody (Else)" 2000: Nelly – “Country Grammar” 2006: – "Lightworks" 2007: Tech N9ne – "Midwest Choppers" 1986:2013: 2Danny Live CrewBrown – (feat."Throw Purity that Ring)D" – "25 Bucks" 1993: I-95 – "Whoot! (There It Is)" The Durty Souf: Booty Bass (Miami) 2006: – "Hustlin'" 2009: Pitbull – "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" UNIT IV -UNIT The IV Modern Era F 8/7 20 Regional Hip Hop in the US, cont. Green: "Dirty South" 1986: The Showboys – "Drag Rap (aka Triggaman)" 1991: DJ Jimi (feat. ) – "Bounce (for the Juvenile)" The Durty Souf: "Bouncin' Out the Dirty-Dirty" () 2000: Mystikal – "Shake It Fast" 2010: – "Excuse"

1995: Geto Boys – “Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangster” [recorded 1992] 1996: UGK – “One Day” The Durty Souf: H-Town Getting' Down () 2002: Geto Boys/Michael “5000 Watts” – “Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangster []” 2006: – "Ridin'" 1996: – “ATLiens” 2000: Mystikal – “Shake It Fast” [“Shake Ya Ass” clean version] The Durty Souf: The A-T-L () 2000: – “Southern Hospitality” (produced by The Neptunes) 2003: “Get Low” – & the East Side Boyz (feat. Ying Yang Twins) UNIT IV QUIZ (by Sunday 8pm) DATE Session TOPIC READING LISTENING DUE

M 8/10 21 Augties Mainstream Kajikawa: "Eminem’s 'My Name Is': Signifying Whiteness, Rearticulating Race" 2001: Jay-Z - "Takeover" Case Study #5 - "Takeover" vs. "Ether" 2001: Nas - "Ether"

2000: Eminem – “” 2002: Eminem – “” 2004: Kanye West – “” 2007: T-Pain – “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” 2008: – “A Milli” 2000s Mainstream 2008: Young – “My President” 2010: – “Black & Yellow” 2010: Kanye West - "Monster" 2010: – “Your Love”

T 8/11 22 Indies, Trap, and the New Lyricism "" 1999: [Yasiin Bey] – "Hip Hop" 2008: – “Day n Nite” Underground/Independent Hip Hop 2011: – “22 Offs” 2016: – "Yesterday" 2017: – "1-800-273-8255" 2002: T.I. – "24s" Trap & Beyond 2012: Chief Keef – "Love Sosa" 2014: Fetty Wap – "" 2013: “Rusty” – Tyler, the Creator 2013: “1 Train” – A$AP Rocky (ft. , , , Danny The New Lyricism Brown, and Big K.R.I.T.) Most Influential NOMINATION and FIRST Votes 2013: “Control” – (ft. Kendrick Lamar, Jay Electronica) (by Tuesday 8pm) W 8/12 23 Case Study #5 - "Alright" "Challenging But Gripping" 2015: Kendrick Lamar – "Alright" Case Study #5 - "Alright"

Most Influential Pre-Discussion Tr 8/13 24 Current Events Battan: "How SoundCloud Rap Took Over Everything" 2007: Tell'em – "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" 2016: – "" Mumble, Memes, and Soundcloud 2017: (feat. ) – "Bad and Boujee" 2018: XXXTenacion – "Sad!" 2011: (feat Rihanna) – "Take Care" Hip Hop's Rise to Power 2015: Taylor Swift (feat. Kendrick Lamar) – "Bad Blood" 2015: Drake – "Hotline Bling" 1996: – "What They Do" Most Influential Assignment SECOND Votes Videos 2018: Childish Gambino – "This Is America" (by Thursday 8pm)

UNIT - V Contemporary Hip Hop F 8/14 25 Final Thoughts TBA 2017: – "Bodak Yellow" 2017: Princess Nokia – "Brujas" 2018: & – "Sunflower" 2018: – "Last Time That I Checc'd" Latest Developments 2018: J Cole – "ATM" 2018: – "Sicko Mode" 2019 [2017]: Lizzo – "Truth Hurts" 2020: – "The Box"

Most Influential Final Discussion

UNIT V QUIZ (by Sunday 8pm)

Conclusions **FINAL DECODED PROJECT DUE** (by Monday 8pm)