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Hip Hopology 101
A Student’s Guide to Exploring The History, Art, Influence
and Politics of Urban Culture
ISBN: 978-1502398901
By Hakim Nathaniel Crampton
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE, SCOPE AND MARKET
Hip Hopology 101 is a textbook intended to examine the historic origin, evolution and influence of Hip Hop culture. This work will be of use and value to students in both high school and college who will find in this book both, a rudimentary and explanative introduction to Hip Hop as an expanding and globally significant culture as opposed to it’s mere musical ascetic.The scope of this work reviews many of the sociological questions Hip Hop is confronted by, including its vitality within American popular music, it’s significance and influence on the global market, and importantly it’s own sense of value and role within black American culture. Review sections follow each chapter with a summation of the main points followed by key vocabulary and an outline for students to compose an essay or speech for each chapter.
OVERVIEW
History has recorded many different phases of cultural development and in the wake of contemporary American society, Hip-Hop culture can be viewed as unique among previous cultural developments. Yet, seen without the panoramic view essential toward an understanding of this particular shift, urban culture is considered to be an unfortunate aspect of capitalism and Jim Crowism, depending on which side of the industrial revolution you’re on.
Driven by a passion for survival and cultural expression within a matrix of unwritten Jim Crow laws, Black and Latino residents of New York’s Queens and South Bronx found that their cultural expression gave rise to a whole new ambition in life. After finding that their cultural expression could be marketed across demographics and classes in the early 80s, Hip-Hop evolved into a larger social movement that now spans the globe. In spite of the moral engendered by selling one’s cultural art, Hip-Hop has maintained that, as a culture, it is a veritable art form that has value beyond its artistic creation. Hence, while being a product of the arts & crafts of theatrical expression, it is also a product of the environment created by urbanization or what is known as “gentrification.” This course examines these key perspectives from the viewpoint of a practitioner or Hip Hopologist.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD
CHAPTER 1 RE-EXAMINING THE ART FORM AS A CULTURAL LIFESTYLE
Chapter 1 Review Section
CHAPTER 2 THE POWER OF WORDS: Examining Rap’s Lyrical Rostrum
Chapter 2 Review Section
CHAPTER 3 THE INFLUENCE OF HIP HOP & IT’S POPULAR ACCEPTANCE
Chapter 3 Review Section
CHAPTER 4 A NEW PORTRAIT: Hip Hop’s New Face and Political Agenda
Chapter 4 Review Section
CHAPTER 5 HIP HOP FIRST & OTHER INNOVATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS
Appendix The Hip Hop Fashions Industry: A Look Back at the year 2000
Appendix TODAYS URBAN CULTURE The Rise of Hip Hop & Its Influence
Appendix SELECTION OF POEMS & RAPS
EPILOGUE
Abstract
CHAPTER 1
RE-EXAMINING THE ART FORM AS A CULTURAL LIFESTYLE
This chapter highlights the historical origins of Hip Hop and it’s evolution within the first decade of it’s genesis and into the early 90‘s. It introduces readers to the names and significant emerging events that gave rise to the artistic and musical genre of both Rap music and its culture. It features the debate over old school versus new school thought about the significance and content of “rap” music. This chapter also covers other key areas, such as breakdancing and graffiti as other mutual components that made up the substance of Hip Hop as opposed to just rap music.
CHAPTER 2
THE POWER OF WORDS: Examining Rap’s Lyrical Rostrum
This chapter proceeds to identify the reason why Rap music has emerged as one of the most significant and powerful voices in popular global culture, transcending it’s American place of origin to become one of the world’s most lucrative industries. This chapter highlights how Rappers use their words to effect change, drive trends, and influence thought processes among youth across cultures and race. The media’s influence of shaping public opinion is then contrasted with the image that Hip Hop forges for itself.
CHAPTER 3
THE INFLUENCE OF HIP HOP & ITS POPULAR ACCEPTANCE
Chapter 3 compares historic trends in music and youth culture with the emergence of Hip Hop as the most powerful subculture to gain global acceptance and influence. Social conditions within urban America that gave rise to Hip Hop are examined and explained. They are then contrasted with other social structures of past trends that did not have such an impact as Hip Hop.
CHAPTER 4
A NEW PORTRAIT: Hip Hop’s New Face and Political Agenda
Chapter 4 introduces readers to the emergence of political activism within Hip Hop, comparing its original lyrical message in the late 70s and early 80s as more of a call to social reform. Social reform can only take place from the grassroots carried into the political arena. This chapter defines those moments and shifts within Hip Hop that turned its direction toward Capitol Hill to have its voice heard.
CHAPTER 5
HIP HOP FIRSTS & OTHER INNOVATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS
This chapter delineates a chronology of “firsts” in the art and contribution to Rap Music. It lists the dates and names of those who were the “first” to be recognized for said achievement. In the second part of the listing, highlights of other significant contributions to Hip Hop are mentioned.
APPENDIX 1
THE HIP HOP FASHION INDUSTRY
This chapter is a “how to” enter the Hip Hop fashion industry while discussing the history and evolution of the earliest fashion brands to launch in the early 90’s. Statistics and revenue of brands are given. Step by step instructions are then listed for potential independent entrepreneurs aiming to start their own urban brand.
APPENDIX 2
TODAYS URBAN CULTURE: The Rise of Hip Hop & Its Influence
This appendix consists of sections from a training module for social workers working primarily with urban populations ages 12-35, in various fields, particularly Domestic violence, alcohol and substance abuse, foster care and child protective services. The training covered, as do these sections, the sociological background of this target population. It highlights key areas of focus for social workers in need of cultural awareness and specific training of the peculiarities of a Hip Hop generation. A summary of Rap music and of how and to what extent it influences this population of youth is discussed with reference to the media and how it shapes the perception and misperception of this target group.
APPENDIX 3
SELECTIONS OF POEMS AND RAPS
In the last chapter of this book, four of the authors poems/raps are presented. Each piece is both lyrical and socially specific to the topics found in Hip Hop songs and other lyrical literature. Students will be able to study these pieces in light of what they know of current and past lyrics by well known and popular rap songs.
OTHER LITERATURE IN THIS FIELD
There are several other critical and detailed books in the field of Hip Hop. Few of them however are textbooks designed to introduce students to the fundamental facts and key points in contrast to an exhaustive survey and lengthy discussion that a student wouldn’t find adequate time to access. Hip Hopology 101 reads like a primer on the topic and includes a review section with key vocabulary and an outline for students to compose an essay or prepare a speech for class. Other works in the field are “scholarly” and not fluid and succinct enough for students to digest and regurgitate. Some of the comparative and contrasting works in this field are as follows:
Nelson George, Hip Hop America, 2005. Penguin Books. Amazon.com Review says, Hip Hop America is filled with George’s memories of the scene’s nascent years, and it tells the story of rap both as an art form and a cultural and economic force–from the old Bronx nightclub the Fever to the age of Puffy. Highlighting both the major players and some of the forces behind the scenes, George gives rap a historical perspective without coming off as too intellectual. All of which makes Hip Hop America a worthwhile addition to any fan’s collection. –Amy Linden
Jeffery Ogbar, Hip-Hop Revolution, 2007. University Press of Kansas. Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar celebrates hip-hop and confronts the cult of authenticity that defines its essential character—that dictates how performers walk, talk, and express themselves artistically and also influences the consumer market. Hip-Hop Revolution is a balanced cultural history that looks past negative stereotypes of hip-hop as a monolith of hedonistic, unthinking noise to reveal its evolving positive role within American society. – Amazon.com
Tricia Rose. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America, 1994. Wesleyan. This book is truly the first “ethnographic study and detailed exploration of rap music within its social, cultural, and artistic contexts.” (Amazon.com) This work is definitely written for the scholar to be used as a source for the history, development and significance of the Hip Hop generation. This work is primarily the main source of reference used by the author of Hip Hopology 101.
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