MUS 360

Fall 2014

HIP HOP MUSIC: HISTORY, CULTURE, AESTHETICS Professor Loren Kajikawa Location: 123 Global Scholars Hall MW 2:00-3:20p.m.

Office Location: 205 Collier House Office Hours: MW, 12:30-1:30 [email protected] GTFs

Sam Golter [email protected] Office: 3 Collier House Office Hours: Fri, 3-4pm

Sean Peterson [email protected] Office: 3 Collier House Office Hours: Mon, 1-2pm

Kevin Whitman [email protected] Office: 3 Collier House Office Hours: Thurs, 2-3pm

Course Description and Objectives In the last thirty years, hip hop has gone from local subculture to global phenomenon. This course examines the history and stylistic evolution of hip hop and rap music in a variety of social contexts—from Bronx streets to Madison Avenue and beyond. We will emphasize both artistic and political dimensions of the music. We will analyze aesthetics—the selection of particular sounds, rhythms, and images—and we will pay attention to how these choices relate to broader cultural and social concerns. Through this course, students will gain a better understanding of U.S. history, racial politics, technology, the recording industry, and of course hip hop music itself. While no previous background in music is required, students will be expected to listen closely to music and lyrics and come to understand the relationship between stylistic changes and the social forces that animate them. With help from the instructor and discussion leaders, students will develop a vocabulary for discussing music, politics, and culture.

Course Materials Required Book: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation (Available @ Duckstore) Additional Readings: Online as PDFs via Blackboard (“Assignments”) Music and video examples will be available via Blackboard (“Assignments”). For music examples, I will create playlists using Spotify. If you do not already have an account, you can create one free of charge at www.spotify.com

MUS 360

Fall 2014

Course Requirements Students are expected to attend class and contribute to class discussions. Reading and listening assignments should be completed prior to the date under which they are listed. Students are expected to complete assignments on time. Late assignments will not be accepted without the prior approval of the instructor or GTFs. Absence from discussion sections will adversely affect your grade. Grades will be determined as follows: Participation and Attendance Quizzes and Assignments Essay Midterm Exam Final Exam

10% 20% 20% 25% 25%

Participation and Attendance Attendance is required in your discussion section. Absences will count against your participation and attendance grade (see above). Earning all ten percentage-points will require active participation. Merely showing up for every meeting will not earn you full credit. If you are a “listener” and not a “talker,” please see your GTF early in the term to arrange other ways in which you can demonstrate active participation. You are expected to attend all lectures, and you will be responsible—within reason—for material from in-class videos. Powerpoint slides used in lecture will NOT be made available, so it is essential that you attend class regularly. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to catch up on assigned listening and reading. I also suggest reviewing missed lectures with a classmate. Neither the instructor nor the GTFs have time to reiterate material covered in class meetings, but we will meet with you at office hours for review purposes if you have specific questions.

Quizzes and Assignments Quizzes will be given in discussion section and will be designed to help you review lecture material, listening examples, and reading assignments. There are no make-ups for missed quizzes, but we will drop your lowest quiz score when calculating final grades. In addition to quizzes, there will be a number of short assignments throughout the term. Assignments will be announced in lecture. You will complete them in class or at home and then turn them in to your GTF at discussion section each week.

Paper/Essay During Week 4, you will receive instructions regarding the paper assignment, for which you will write an essay roughly 5-pages in length (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times font).

MUS 360

Fall 2014

Midterm and Final Exam The midterm and final exam will consist of multiple choice and short essay questions. These exams will emphasize material covered in lecture and discussion section meetings. For questions related to listening examples, you will need to know the name of the artist, title of the track, year it was released, as well as other significant information from class lectures/readings.

E-mail Policy During the school year, professors and GTFs receive an extraordinary number of e-mail messages. We will do our best to respond promptly to student e-mails. As a rule, you should understand your relationships to GTFs and professors as professional. When corresponding by e-mail, always include a salutation (“Dear Prof. Kajikawa,” “Dear Mr. Peterson,” “Dear Mr. Whitman,” etc.) and a closing that identifies who you are (“Sincerely, Fred Brathwaite”). Please also note that we might not check our e-mail more than once per day, or at all on weekends or in the evening, and we might not have time to reply immediately. We will give low priority to messages requesting information available elsewhere, such as the course syllabus or Blackboard site. Please have patience and do not hesitate to follow up with a second e-mail or in person during office hours or before, during, or after class if we have not replied to e-mail.

Electronic Devices Wireless and handheld devices, cell phones, and laptop computers must be turned off prior to class. Please do not text in class.

Course Schedule SEPTEMBER 29 COURSE INTRODUCTION: HISTORY, CULTURE, AESTHETICS Read: none Listen: none OCTOBER 1 URBAN PLANNING AND DEINDUSTRIALIZATION IN NEW YORK Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (7-19; 41-65) Listen: Joe Cuba “Bang Bang” James Brown “Give It Up or Turn It Loose” – LIVE Ghetto Brothers “Ghetto Brothers Power” King Tubby/Augustus Pablo “King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown” Fania All Stars “Anacaona”

1966 1969 1972 1976 1971

MUS 360

Fall 2014

OCTOBER 6 DJ KOOL HERC AND B-BOYING IN THE BRONX Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (67-85) Joseph Schloss, “Classic B-Boy Records,” Foundation (17-39) Listen: Michael Viner’s Incredible “Apache” Bongo Band Marvin Gaye “T Plays It Cool” The Jimmy Castor Bunch “It’s Just Begun” Babe Ruth “The Mexican” Bob James “Take Me To The Mardi Gras”

1973

OCTOBER 8 THE BIRTH OF THE RAP SONG Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (89-134) Listen: Grandmaster Flash w/ Audoban Ballroom 12-23-1978 (bootleg) The Furious Four Sugarhill Gang “Rapper’s Delight” Grandmaster Flash and “Superrappin’’” The Furious Five Kurtis Blow “The Breaks”

1978

OCTOBER 13 UPTOWN / DOWNTOWN Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (141-187) Listen: Blondie “Rapture” Grandmaster Flash and “Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of The Furious Five Steel” Afrika Bambaataa & The “Planet Rock” Soulsonic Force Grandmaster Flash and “The Message” The Furious Five

1981 1981

OCTOBER 15 GUEST ARTIST: MARE ADVERTENCIA LIRIKA Watch: Documentary Film about Mare (~30 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvVtDcXC0XU

1972 1972 1972 1975

1979 1979 1980

1982 1982

MUS 360 OCTOBER 20 THE CROSSOVER: DEF JAM AND THE FIRST PLATINUM RAP ALBUM Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (189-211) Listen: Run-D.M.C. “It’s Like That” / “Sucker M.C.s” Run-D.M.C. “King of Rock” Run-D.M.C. “Walk This Way” Beastie Boys “Fight For Your Right” / “Paul Revere”

Fall 2014

1983 1985 1986 1986

OCTOBER 22 THE GOLDEN AGE OF HIP HOP SAMPLING Read: Kembrew McLeod, “The Golden Age of Sampling,” Creative License (19-35) Joseph Schloss, “Elements of Style,” Making Beats (135-168) Listen: MC Shan “The Bridge” 1986 Marley Marl ft. Craig G “Droppin’ Science” 1988 Gangstarr “Manifest” 1989 De La Soul “Eye Know” / “Magic Number” 1989 Beastie Boys “Shake Your Rump” 1989 Biz Markie “Just a Friend” 1989 A Tribe Called Quest “Can I Kick It?” / “Bonita Applebum” 1990

OCTOBER 27 BLACK NATIONALISM AND BLACK NOISE Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (215-261) Listen: Run-D.M.C. “Proud To Be Black” Public Enemy “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” / “Rebel Without a Pause” Public Enemy “Fight the Power” / “911 is a Joke” Poor Righteous Teachers “Rock Dis Funky Joint” X-Clan “What Time Is It?”

OCTOBER 29 - MIDTERM EXAM

1986 1988 1990 1990 1990

MUS 360

Fall 2014

NOVEMBER 3 GANGSTA RAP’S POLITICAL EDGE AND CULTURAL HUSTLE Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (299-353) Listen: Schooly D Ice-T Eazy-E N.W.A.

Ice Cube

“PSK What Does It Mean?” “6 in the Mornin’” “Boyz in the Hood” “Straight Outta Compton” / “Gangsta Gangsta” / “Fuck Tha Police” / “Express Yourself” / “I Ain’t the One” “Endangered Species” “Black Korea” / “Bird in the Hand”

1985 1986 1987 1988

1990 1991

NOVEMBER 5 THE CANONIZATION OF TUPAC SHAKUR Read: Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (357-379) Michael Eric Dyson, Holler If You Hear Me (141-171; 231-246) Listen: Tupac Shakur “Brenda’s Got a Baby” Tupac Shakur “Keep Ya Head Up” / “I Get Around” Tupac Shakur “Dear Mama” / “If I Die 2nite” Tupac Shakur “Life Goes On” / “Ambitionz Az a Ridah” Tupac Shakur “To Live and Die in L.A.” / “Bomb First”

1992 1993 1995 1996 1996

NOVEMBER 10 DR. DRE’S THE CHRONIC AND DON RAP Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (381-435) Listen: Dr. Dre “Nuthin’ But a G Thang” Dr. Dre “Let Me Ride” Snoop Doggy Dogg “Gin and Juice” Snoop Doggy Dogg “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?”

1992 1992 1993 1993

MUS 360

Fall 2014

NOVEMBER 12 RAP ENTREPRENEURS AND MID-NINETIES NEW YORK Read: Robin Kelley, “Looking To Get Paid” Yo’ mama’s disfunktional! (43-77) Listen: Wu-Tang Clan “Protect Ya Neck” / “C.R.E.A.M.” Notorius B.I.G. “Everyday Struggle” / “Big Poppa” Nas “N.Y. State of Mind” / “One Love” Jay-Z “Dead Presidents II” Jay-Z “Money Ain’t a Thing”

1993 1994 1994 1996 1998

NOVEMBER 17 THE RISE OF THE SOUTH Read: Adam Krims, “Rap Geography and Soul Food” Listen: Geto Boys “My Mind’s Playing Tricks on Me” TT Tucker & DJ Irv “Where Dey At” Outkast “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” Goodie MoB “Soul Food” DJ Screw “Sippin’ Codeine” Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz “Get Low” T.I. “What You Know”

1992 1992 1994 1995 1996 2003 2006

NOVEMBER 19 FEMALE MCS IN “A MAN’S WORLD” Read: Cheryl Keyes, “Daughters of the Blues,” Rap Music and Street Consciousness (186-209) Listen: Salt-N-Pepa “Push It” 1986 MC Lyte “Lyte as a Rock” 1988 Queen Latifah “Ladies First” 1989 Salt-N-Pepa “Let’s Talk About Sex” 1991 Missy Elliot “Work It” 2002 Lil’ Kim “The Jump Off” 2003

NOVEMBER 24 HIP HOP DJING AND TURNTABLISM Read: Mark Katz, “The Art of War – The DJ Battle” (153-178) Listen: DJ Shadow “Endtroducing”

1996

MUS 360

Fall 2014

NOVEMBER 26 RAP FROM THE OUTSIDE IN Read: Kajikawa, “Eminem’s ‘My Name Is’: Signifying Whiteness, Rearticulating Race” Listen: Eminem “Infinite” / “Never Too Far” 1996 Eminem “My Name Is” / “Just Don’t Give a Fuck” 1999 Eminem “Stan” 2000 Mountain Brothers “Microphone Phenomenal” 2003 Jin “Learn Chinese” 2004

DECEMBER 1 UNDERGROUND HIP HOP Read: Anthony Kwame Harrison, “The Revision and Continued Salience of Race” (120-155) Listening: Freestyle Fellowship “Sunshine Men” 1991 Freestyle Fellowship “Inner City Boundaries” / “Cornbread” 1993 Medusa http://www.myspace.com/medusa Living Legends http://www.legendarymusic.net/ Mos Def and Talib “Respiration” / “Thieves in the Night” / 1998 Kweli are Blackstar “Children’s Story” P.U.T.S. “The Outrage” 2002 Blue Scholars “Proletariat Blues” 2006

DECEMBER 3 RAPOCALYPSE NOW! Read: Jeff Chang, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (437-465) Read: Brother Ali, “The Intersection of Homophobia and Hip Hop” Listen: Le1F “Wut” Others to be determined…

DECEMBER 10 FINAL EXAM - 123 GLOBAL SCHOLARS HALL NOTE THE TIME: 2:45 P.M. !!!

2012

MUS 360

Fall 2014

Students should be aware that the School of Music and Dance desires to discourage any sort of action that makes an individual feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. Students with concerns related to discrimination, bias, or sexual harassment are encouraged to contact the following office or offices should you wish to report such an incident and get help in resolving the incident. • • • • •

Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Office, 677 E 12th Ave, Suite 452, (541) 3463123; aaeo.uoregon.edu Bias Response Team, 164 Oregon Hall, (541) 346-2037; bias.uoregon.edu Conflict Resolution Services, 164 Oregon Hall, (541) 346-0617 Counseling & Testing Center, 2nd floor, University Health, Counseling, and Testing Center Building, (541) 346-3227; counseling.uoregon.edu Student Advocacy, 334 EMU, (541) 346-3722; pages.uoregon.edu/asuoosa

If you are registered with the Accessible Education Center, you should make an appoint-ment with the instructor as soon as possible to discuss any course accommodations that may be necessary. To request disability accommodations, register for services at the Accessible Education Center.

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Accessible  Education  Center,  164  Oregon  Hall,  (541)  346-­‐1155;   aec.uoregon.edu