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Hip-Hop: American Youth Culture At Home and Abroad

 

This e-reader was compiled for a teacher seminar on October 31, 2007 at Humboldt University Berlin, American Studies Department. See: http://germany.usembassy.gov/hiphop.html

 
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General
 

Feeling the Beat: The Meaning of Rap Music for Ethnically Diverse Midwestern College Students - A Phenomenical Study
Derek K. Iwamoto, John Creswell, and Leon Caldwell
Adolescene vol. 42, No. 166, Summer 2007, pp337-351
This articles describes a study about the impact of rap on ethnically diverse college students. As a result new ways are discussed to utilize rap music in fields like education and risk education.
The autors are academics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
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Hip-Hop and Youth Culture
Carl S. Taylor and Virgil Taylor
Journal of Urban Youth Culture. 2, 1 (2004) January
Interestingly, hip hop music was widely banned by music networks such as MTV, it was only when the music became more provocative and violent that it found interest, especially from a business perspective. This article discusses the economic as well as social effects of hip hop and tries to explain its success.
Carl S. Taylor is Professor at the Department of Sociology of Michigan State University. Virgil Taylor is a staffer at the Urban Ecology Institute
http://www.juyc.org/current/0401/hiphop.html

Hip-Hop Culture Crosses Social Barriers
Musical artists tell America's story in rap
Carol Walker
Department of State, International Information Program, May 13, 2006
This short article argues that hip hop has crossed over from African American urban music to white culture while at the same time always incorporating the various regional interpretations. Even though, hip hop might have its down sides in its portrayal of women, violence and drug use, it still has musically and culturally a global impact.
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/Archive/2006/May/12-522164.html

Hip-Hop Nation
Christopher John Farley
TIME Magazine. February 8, 1999, pp45-66
The article gives a short overview of the hip hop scene in the U.S. and focuses on some artist in particular: Lauryn Hill, Puff Daddy. The author of the article accompanies the artists on their tours, concerts and parties and describes what he has experienced. The article also gives insight how hip-hop influences other sectors such as media and advertisement.
Christopher John Farley is a senior editor at TIME.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,19134-2,00.html

Introduction: Hip-Hop in History: Past, Present , and Future
Derrick P. Aldridge and James B. Stewart
The Journal of the African American History, Vol. 90 No. 3, Summer 2005, pp190-195
In the last 30 years hip-hop became a part of the global youth culture. In this essay the authors analyzes
hip-hop in the historical context from a scholarly point of view.
Derrick P. Aldridge is Associate Professor in the College of Education at the University of Georgia. James B. Stewart is Professor of Labor Studies and Industrial Relations and African American Studies at Pennsylvania State University.
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Pens on the Prize: Linking School and Community Through Contest-Inspired Literacy
Korina Jocson, Sherdren Burnside , and Mualimu Collins
Multicultural Education Vol. 14, No. 2, Winter 2006, pp28-33
Current studies show that the interest in poetry in schools increased. The autors present the contest Poetry for People as an example for literacy learning for diverse urban youth.
They write about their experience in this this project.
Korinna Jocson is postdoctoral fellow in the Scchol of Education at Stanford University, Sherdren Burnside is former high schoool teacher, and Mualimu Collins ias an independent filmmaker.
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Two Turntables and a Social Movement: Writing Hip-Hop at Century's End
Josh Kun
American Literary History vol. 14, No. 3, Fall 2002. pp580-592
Josh Kun analyzes the phenomen hip-hop in its development. On the basis of academic research he describes the development of hip-hop.
Josh Jun is professor in the USC Annenberg School of Communications and the Department of American Studies and Ethnicity. He is the head of the Lear Center's Popular Music Project.
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On Language

 

What's New? The Effect of Hip-Hop Culture on Everyday English
Emmet G. Price III
Department of State, Bureau of International Information Programs. e-Journal Society & Values, Vol. 12, no. 8
In 2003 the phrase "bling-bling" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. But also words, such as hood, crunk and crib are used more and more in the everyday language of teenagers. This short article gives insight on the influence of hip hop culture on English and makes it once again clear what a great impact hip hop is having on culture.
Emmett G. Price III, PhD, is an assistant professor of Music and African American Studies at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itsv/0807/ijse/price.htm

Vocab Fundamentals
Hiphop Archive Project. Hiphop Lx, 2002-2007
On this web site the language, words and expressions of hip-hop are explained. It is an element of the more complex project Hiphop Lx.
This project is focused on linguistics. It is also a part of Hiphop Archive - a project of Standford University.
http://www.hiphoparchive.org/lx/vocab-fundamentals/

 

Hip-Hop and Sexism

Wir sind die schlechte Gesellschaft
Henrike Roßbach
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung July 6, 2005, online edition
This critical article gives a nice overview of the German rap scene and illustrates how and why it is so successful.
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Media/Visual Literacy Art Education: Sexism in Hip-Hop Videos
Chung, Sheng Kuan
Art Education May 2007, pp33-38
Hip-hop videos are the most controversial phenomenon in American pop culture. This article discusses the issue of sexism in hip-hop videos. Chung underlines the importance of art teacher in providing knowledge to exam critically the popular visual culture.
Sheng Kuan Chung is Assistant Professor and Graduate Program Director of Art Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at University of Houston, Texas.
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U.S. Lesson Plans

 

Lesson Plans: Poetry and Hip-Hop; Anti-Drug Messages in Hip-Hop; Peer Pressure; Censorship and Hip-Hop
Hayward, Tracy Hayward
This English unit will explore the prevalence of drugs and alcohol in literature, plays, poetry and music. In order for students to connect to this lesson it is related to hip-hop. This is so that students can grasp the significance of drugs and alcohol in relation to hip-hop and the media.
http://www.concept.org/drugs/eng.html

The Media and Social Justice- Lesson Plan. San Francisco State University
This lesson plan puts hip-hop into the broader context of media, in order to evaluate the influence that the media has on society. This 4 week program provides objectives, topics, literacy aspects and homework for each session. The lesson plan works with movies, TV emissions and rap songs.
http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~klvo/EngSumm.html

A Good Rap
Billboard October 6, 2007, p6
Rapper David Banner gave speech to defend hip-hop. He testified in a controversy about the offensive language in Jackson, Missisippi.
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Further Readings and Links
 
Hip Hop Archive - the Hip Hop Portal
The Hiphop Archive organizes and develops collections, initiates and participates in research activities, sponsors events and acquires material culture associated with Hiphop in the U.S. and throughout the world. The Website: hiphoparchive.org provides information about all activities and projects and serves as a resource for those interested in knowing, developing, building, maintaining and representing Hiphop.
http://www.hiphoparchive.org/about/

About Hip Hop
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) present a complex hip-hop web site. Included are: an overview, a timeline and a glossary. The opinion of hiphop artists about topics like: Socially Concious Rap; Representation of Women; Hip-hop’s white audience are included in print, audio and videos format.
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/special/hiphop/

Hip Hop Timeline

The Hip Hop Timeline is an interactive chronicle tracing the development of hip hop as a musical form, from its beginnings to the worldwide phenomenon today.
The web site was dcreated and is maintained by Experience Music Project (EMP) and The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (SFM) in Seattle.
http://www.empsfm.org/exhibitions/index.asp?articleID=664

 

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U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany /Public Affairs/ Information Resource Centers    
October 2007