Journal Assignment 2 – 1 Paragraph each about the following (reading, watching, listening). Minimum total of 1 page.  Maximum total of 2 pages.

Learning Outcomes This course aims to critically challenge students in three primary ways: 1) describe some of the historical narratives and cultural influences associated with Rap and Hip Hop music 2) identify aesthetic qualities of certain styles (historical and contemporary) and techniques of Rap and Hip Hop practitioners 3) engage in dialogue and discussion surrounding rap and hip hop music and lyrics through your own perspectives.

Week 2 literature –  Write 1 Paragraph about something you read from the letter

This weeks literature is Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” from 1963. This coincides with the federal holiday coming up this Monday, January 20th.

Find the Letter linked as a PDF below or in the Files > Literature – PDF folder.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.].pdfPreview the document

Week 2 film – Write 1 Paragraph about something you saw in the film.

This weeks film is Wild Style (1982), Hip Hop’s first movie. It features artists and practitioners from the NYC scene during the 1970s and 1980s in a historical/dramatic narrative.

This film had and still has a big impact on Rap and Hip Hop music artists – it has become somewhat of a cult classic for Hip Hop fans. The material from this movie is sampled countless times by other Hip Hop artists since the movie’s release. We watched most of this film in class on Monday 13 Jan, so many of you already have a lead on this assignment. We will continue watching the final portion on Wednesday 15 Jan. I am also working on having it available through Kanopy – an online streaming service through the library – for anyone who might not be able to access it in class. Stay tuned for the URL. I’ll have it to you as soon as I hear back from the library.

Week 2 listening –  Write 1 Paragraph about something you heard or watched from these playlists. Try and listen to each year and briefly discuss some things you notice 1) about one specific video and 2) any change over time you notice in sounds and aesthetics.

These youtube playlists have a lot of records and videos from 1980-1986. Also included next to the Records of 1986 playlist is Janet Jackson’s album Control, a huge influence on Rap, Hip Hop, and R&B of the time period. We will discuss some examples from all of these lists in class.

These lists are not meant to be exhaustive (they are pretty thorough, though!), but it is meant to give you an idea of some of the records released around this time. They were many other performers from this era but finding some of those records is a challenge, to say the least, so if you have any other recommendations, please let me know.

At the bottom is a spreadsheet of artists and albums from 1986 for you to further explore, should you feel inclined, but that is not required.