Professor: Andrew J.

Ryan
Contact Information: 202.841.4090 -- – hiphopprof[at]gmail[dot]com [preferred] or
ajryan[at]gmu[dot]edu (please use NCLC 244 in header)
Office Hour: Monday 3.30 to 4.30 by appointment only
Meeting Times: Thompson Hall 116 , Monday 4.30 to 7.10 pm
Collaborative Learning Space: courses.gmu.edu
Course Description and goals: BEATS, RHYME AND CULTURE will explore the history
of Hip-Hop and the effect it has had on our society. The primary focus of this four-
credit course is to engage Hip-Hop not as a mode of entertainment, but as a medium
of communication which impacts, represents, and misrepresents the life experiences
of youth (especially inner-city youth) in the United States.

The historical, socio-economic, and musical/aesthetic contexts from which Hip-Hop

emerged will be analyzed. Distinct themes and phenomena that define Hip-Hop will be
presented and discussed as well. The goal of this course is to have you critically think,
write, and discuss the origins, themes, and direction of Hip-Hop in the context of
contemporary American culture and abroad.

Grading Policy:
• Response Papers [2] 30%
• Class Presentation 10%
• Online Assessments [4 of 5] 20%
• Class Wiki 20%
• Experiential Learning 20%

Much of what we do in class is interactive and depends upon your regular attendance
and enthusiastic participation. Your being absent not only diminishes your learning,
but it keeps the class from benefiting from your experiences and ideas. Arriving late,
leaving early, and being absent will hurt your participation grade.

Late work will not be accepted. Unless otherwise noted, all assignments are due, via
Blackboard and hard copy, at the beginning of class. Students may revise graded
papers and receive a one letter grade increase. Revisions must be received 1 week
after the paper is returned. Exceptions are permissible, but require prior permission
of instructor.

Final grades will be calculated using the University grading system. No curve will be
used --this is to your advantage!
Required Texts:
• Yes Yes Y'All: The Experience Music Project Oral History of Hip-Hop's First
Decade, Jim Fricke, Charlie Ahearn, Experience Music Project. ISBN:
030681224X, Da Capo Press
• Vibe History of Hip-Hop, Vibe History of Hip Hop
Vibe Magazine, Alan Light (Editor), 0609805037, Random House,
Incorporated

Experiential Learning: This course has a required experiential learning component,

for which you and your group members will assess some aspect of Hip-Hop culture.
While book knowledge is a critical component in understanding Hip-Hop culture, our
location in a major urban city provides an opportunity to observe the culture in its
natural environment. You will be required to attend 2 events dealing with some
aspect of Hip-Hop, and record your findings. Museum exhibits, poetry readings,
concerts, selected movies and other Hip-Hop events will be announced in class
periodically. A review sheet will be provided to record your experience and relate the
event to class material.
Periodically, we will choose a topic (via an article) to debate. Rather than barbershop
or beauty parlor chats, we will aim to be scholarly, yet conversational in our rhetoric.
Mid-semester grade: Approximately one week after the mid- term, I will make available your
mid-semester grade. This is a good opportunity to gauge your progress and meet with me to
discuss strategies for the second half of the semester.

Participation: You will be assigned to groups and are expected to work with group members
on group projects [primarily online] and to help each other as you are learning. If a student
does not actively participate in the group projects, that student's individual project grade may
be downgraded accordingly. Participation in classroom (individual) and group discussion is
included in your participation grade. You are expected to come to class having read the
material for the class and have ready any course work due for that class.

Online Collaboration: We will primarily employ Blackboard, GMU’s online collaboration

tool for web chats, discussion groups, and even polls or surveys. Understandably,
each student will have various levels of comfort with this technology. I will dedicate
time in the third class meeting to answer questions on Blackboard.

Disability Statement: If you are a student with a disability and you need
academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Disability
Resource Center (DRC) at 703.993.2474. All academic accommodations
must be arranged through that office.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any project or paper suspected of not being the
original work of the author will be forwarded to the George Mason University Honor
System. When in doubt, please consult me before handing your work in.
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Honor Code To promote a stronger sense of mutual responsibility, respect, trust,
and fairness among all members of the George Mason University community and with
the desire for greater academic and personal achievement, we, the student
members of the university community, have set forth this honor code: Student
members of the George Mason University community pledge not to cheat, plagiarize,
steal, or lie in matters related to academic work.

Please visit the University website at:

http://www.gmu.edu/catalog/apolicies/#Anchor12 to view the full Honor Code

Lecture s will be co mplemented by mu ltimedia p resentation s,

film clips and mu sic. You r atte ndance is app reciated as a fai r
amount of work goes into e ach class meeting

Prof Ryan

Class Schedule
Class Topic Readings (to be done by)
Date
1 - Introduction
[8/25] - Hand out CD #1: “Dope Beats and
Rhymes
2 - Of Hip-Hop and Academia Vibe History of Hip-Hop,
[9/8] - Defining Hip-Hop .. Culture? Community? “The Real Old School” p 3-11
Commodity?
- 1996-2006 . . . a brief commentary on the
globalization of Hip-Hop
3 - Hip-Hop: Early Ideological Influences Yes, Yes Y’all (3Y): Introduction
[9/15] - Graffiti: The First Element Vibe 13-21: Back in the Day
- Identity, Authenticity and Hip-Hop

4 - New York City response to Graffiti
[9/22] - Media Depictions of the Bronx
- Stereotype and Hip-Hop
Handout response paper 1
QUIZ 1 DUE BEFORE CLASS
5 - Hip-Hop as Equipment for Living
[9/29] - B-boying: Unveiling the Face of Hip-Hop
QUIZ 2 DUE BEFORE CLASS
Yes, Yes Y’all (3Y): Chapter 1:
Rocking: Gang Culture and the
Beginnings of Hip-Hop
Vibe History of Hip-Hop (V3H),
“Graffiti”, p35 – 41
Yes, Yes Y’all (3Y): Chapter 2:
The Forefathers: B-Boy and DJ
Culture in the Bronx – p 23 - 43
V3H, “Breaking it All Down: The
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 rise and Fall of the B-Boy
Kingdom”, p 53 – 59
6 - Unveiling the West Coast . . . graffiti and Yes, Yes Y’all (3Y): Chapter 3:
[10/6] b-boying MCs Take the Stage: The Rise of
Response Paper 1 Due MC Crews
Introduce Experiential Learning V3H, “Early Los Angeles Hip-
Hop”, p111 – 119
7 - A Culture Emerges Yes, Yes Y’all (3Y): Chapter 4:
[10/14] - Deejaying: The Big Three: Bam, Flash, and And You Don’t Stop: The Scene
Herc Matures
Introduce Wiki project
Distribute CD#2
QUIZ 3 DUE BEFORE CLASS
8 - Deejaying Matures . . . radio play, emcee Vibe, “Last Night a DJ Saved my
[10/20] neglect and mixtapes Life”, p 59-69
- Drop the Needle: Inside Deejaying Yes, Yes Y’all (3Y): Chapter 2:
The Forefathers: B-Boy and DJ
Culture in the Bronx p 43-67
9 -The Business of Hip-Hop Yes, Yes Y’all (3Y): Chapter 5:
[10/27] QUIZ 4 DUE BEFORE CLASS Rapper’s Delight: Hip-Hop Goes
Commercial
V3H, “Pop Rap”, p. 121-134
10 - Urban Griots: Gil Scott Heron, the Last Yes, Yes Y’all (3Y): Chapter 6:
[11/3] Poets, Sonia Sanchez open the door for rap Fresh, Wild, Fly and Bold: The
- Reggae, R+B, Disco . . . early musical Scene 1980-1991 pp 199-237
references on Hip-Hop Vibe “Word” p 91-99
- Emceeing – 1979-1986 (Early Years)
Handout response paper 2
11 - Women and Hip-Hop V3H “Hip-Hop Soul”, p 307 –
[11/10] - Representation and Hip-Hop 317
QUIZ 5 DUE BEFORE CLASS V3H, “Ladies First” p. 177-186
V3H, “Hip-Hop in the Movies”, p
201 – 207
12 - Emceeing – 1986-1992 (Golden Years) Yes, Yes Y’all (3Y): Chapter 6:
[11/17] - Protest Music and Hip-Hop Fresh, Wild, Fly and Bold: The
Activism and Hip-Hop Scene 1980-1991 pp 238-274
Response Paper 2 Due V3H, “Public Enemy”, p 65 – 67
Vibe: “Native Tongues” p 187-
199
13 - Emceeing – 1992-1996 (West Coast and Yes, Yes Y’all (3Y): Chapter 7: All
[11/24] the South) Around the World Same Song:
- Hip-Hop and Law: Sampling and Free Hip-Hop Takes Over
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 Speech V3H, “Gangsta Rap in the 90s p
- Who owns Hip-Hop 285-296
14 - Course Wrap Up V3H, Arguments in Favor of the
[12/1] - Where does Hip-Hop Go from Here? Future of Hip-Hop” p 385-394
Group Presentations
End Wiki Project
Experiential Learning Due.

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