How Rap Taught (Some of) the Hip Hop Generation Black History
For members of the Hip Hop generation who came of age during the Black Power era, “reality rap” was an entry into the political power of Black history.
21 Savage and “Deported Americans”
Rapper 21 Savage’s deportation battle highlights an important aspect of contemporary immigration policy that is often overlooked.
Can Jay Z Help Students Read James Joyce?
Rapper Jay Z recently released his 13th studio album 4:44. Could this be used in the classroom to enlighten and educate students in secondary schools?
Bill O’Reilly: The Thug Life
The O’Reilly Factor follows a “set of binary codes of the form sacred vs. polluted,” expressed in a number of ways according to sociologist Matthew Norton.
New Brown Godz Look Back: M.I.A.’s Arular at 10
A look at M.I.A's groundbreaking Arular at ten years old.
Butterfly Flow: Tupac, Kendrick Lamar, and the Resurrection of New Black Godz
A look at mythic themes in Kendrick Lamar's recent #1 album To Pimp a Butterfly.
Tupac Shakur Remembered in GRAMMY Museum Exhibit
A new exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum explores the lyrics and cultural contribution of Tupac Shakur.
Word to your Mother (Tongue): Can Hip Hop Save Endangered Languages?
Hip hop is not only linguistically innovative, it helps preserve indigenous languages via oral tradition.
Nineteenth-Century Rappers, Corn Laws, and the Rise of Free Trade
The strange intersection of corn laws, rap, poetry, and free trade.