SPRING 2020/BIS 313: Issues in Media Studies

Instructor: Dr. Georgia M. Roberts: gmr2@uw.edu

Office hours: Please email to set up Zoom meeting or Canvas chat

Bigger Than Hip Hop: Music, Media and Politics

Course Description
Over the past three decades, hip hop culture, and particularly rap music, has become one of
the most popular modes of youth expression on the planet. As we acknowledge both the
globalization and commodification of the culture, this online class also looks at hip hop as
the always localized, even neighborhood-based response to the multiple and damaging effects
of globalization, including but not limited to, forced migration, economic exploitation,
systemic poverty, racial profiling, mass incarceration, etc. What exactly do we mean when we
talk about the cultural aesthetic of hip hop culture, and what, if anything, can we generalize
about hip hop’s political imagination?

Through a shared set of theoretical/historical readings and discussion assignments, students

will develop electronic-based researching skills with a focus on critical media literacy.

Method and Learning Objectives

The course begins by exploring some theories about the relationship between art and
politics. We then briefly turn to the constructed geographies of the U.S. and Seattle, paying
particular attention to how historical and material factors shape our political present. We
look at the Civil Rights, Black Power and feminist movements. Here I will encourage
students to conduct research into how these movements played out in a local context.
Finally, we end the course by returning to the question of hip hop and politics through
reading Jay Z’s autobiography, Decoded. This course is designed with the following learning
objectives in mind:

• To increase student’s understanding of the interactions between the historical,

material and political conditions that preceded hip hop culture.
• To allow opportunities for students to demonstrate engagement with the topic and
themes of the course in a variety of forms including formal and informal online
discussions, research, the close-reading of texts, writing about music and visual
culture, etc.
• To develop student’s awareness of the relationship between culture, power and the
construction of knowledge.
• To find creative ways to put hip hop’s primary discursive practice (rap lyrics) into
conversation with theoretical texts in order to make connections between traditions
of anti-racist struggle.
Readings and Assignments

Canvas Discussion Participation (50%)

Regular participation in the class is extremely important. Grades are based 50% on
contribution to online discussions. It is required that you log on and add substantive
comments to the discussion several times per week (a week is defined as Monday
through Saturday). Providing responses at a single time once per week is not
sufficient for maintaining an ongoing conversation among the participants.

I will post the weekly question on Sunday evening (or at the latest Monday morning),
and you should post your first response by Wednesday morning before noon. This
means you will want to have the week’s reading and films completed at the
beginning of each week (Sunday or Monday) so that you can start posting under
the heading for the week by the required time (please ask me if you have any
questions about this!) As far as the posting format is concerned, the first post (due
Wednesday) should be an answer to my discussion question(s), and should be a
minimum of two paragraphs. It’s fine if your initial post is longer, but please make
sure you’ve thought about and answered the question in the most thorough way
possible. I would like to see at least a 2-3 quotes from the texts integrated into your
first post (as evidence for whatever claims you make). Please use MLA style all
citations. Be advised: you will not be able to see other people’s posts on the
discussion board until AFTER you've posted for the first time.

In addition to your initial response to my weekly question(s), you should plan on

commenting on the posts of at least two other classmates before Saturday. This
means that after you’ve posted your initial thoughts on the discussion prompt, you’ll
want to check back several times throughout the week and comment on other
student’s thoughts. As in any class, these comments can be brief or lengthy.
However, I want you to ENGAGE with what the person is saying and try your best
to push the conversation forward.

As I said above, you must post at least three times per week in order to receive
minimum credit. If you expect to earn a higher than average (passing, or C-level)
grade, your involvement on the discussion board should reflect this with five or
more quality posts (your initial Wednesday response or short writing assignment
and at least four other responses to peers). Ultimately, I will be looking for evidence
that you are wrestling with the readings and participating with your fellow classmates
in valuable, interesting discussions.

The board will be closed at 11pm on Saturday evenings, so you will need to have all
your posts completed by that time. No exceptions.

2
 Five writing assignments (50%)
In addition to the weekly discussion requirement, you will have five focused writing
assignments throughout the quarter (see syllabus schedule for details and due dates).
You will be asked to write two hip hop definition essays and three short research-
based discussion posts (these will also count as your first post for the assigned week).
Your research-based writings will be posted on the Canvas discussion board, and
your two definition essays will be uploaded to Canvas under assignments.

I will always remind you in my initial posts if there is a writing assignment due, but
it’s a good idea to check the syllabus regularly and make sure you understand what’s
being asked of you in each assignment.

Academic Integrity
See both the UWB General Catalog (pages 15, 16) and the documents you signed upon
admission to IAS for crucial information regarding academic integrity. The library also has
an extremely useful website with resources at
<www.uwb.edu/library/guides/research/plagiarism.html>. You are responsible for
knowing what constitutes a violation of the University of Washington Student Code, and
you will be held responsible for any such violations whether they were intentional or not.

Access and Accommodations

Your experience in this class is important to me. It is the policy and practice of the
University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent
with federal and state law. If you have already established accommodations with Disability
Resources for Students (DRS), please activate your accommodations via myDRS so we can
discuss how they will be implemented in this course.

If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition
or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to;
mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), contact
DRS directly to set up an Access Plan. DRS facilitates the interactive process that establishes
reasonable accommodations. Contact DRS at uwbdrs@uw.edu.

For Our Veterans: Welcome! We at UW Bothell understand that the transition into civilian
life can be challenging for our veteran students and we have many resources for any who
may want to reach out for guidance or assistance. This includes our Vet Corp Navigator
through the WDVA and our Student Veterans Association (SVA). Please contact Veteran
Services at 425.352.5307 or rosal@uw.edu. For those of you needing more URGENT
support, please call The Suicide Prevention Hotline 1.800.273.8255 or connect with the UWB
CARE Team https://www.uwb.edu/studentaffairs/care-team.

Late policy
I do not accept late work.

3
University of Washington Religious Accommodation Policy
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student
absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized
religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an
accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy
(https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/).
Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using
the Religious Accommodations Request form
(https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/)

Required Books
Decoded by Jay Z (full text available through UW libraray)

Readings and links to documentaries

The remaining course readings will be available on Canvas under the “files” section. They
are organized according to the week that they are due. I will post links to films in each
week’s discussion post (or tell you how to rent them, if need be). If you’d like to work ahead,
there are direct links (when available) in the course schedule below. If you have any trouble
finding a reading or film, just email me. I’m here to help!

Schedule:
Week 1: Introduction (March 30-April 4)
Please post an introduction to yourself by Saturday April 4 @ 11pm. Specific
instructions can be found on Canvas under the “discussion” section.

Week 2: Hip Hop Wars (April 6-11)

• Rose, Tricia. “Introduction” from The Hip Hop Wars
• Gates, Jr., Henry Louis “Introduction” from The Anthology of Rap
• Google VS Hip Hop (online debate)
o Link to film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3-7Y0xG89Q

Week 3: Old School (April 13-18)

• Selections from Chang Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
• Selections from Kelley “Kicking Reality, Kicking Ballistics”
• WATCH: Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap
o Link to film: available to stream through UW library system
http://offcampus.lib.washington.edu/login?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.c
om/watch/something-for-nothing-the-art-of-rap

4
Week 4: Black Power (April 20-25)
• Selections from Huey Newton’s Revolutionary Suicide
• Eyes on the Prize selections
o Link to film: available to stream through UW library system
https://washington.kanopy.com/video/eyes-prize
§ Episode 7: The Time Has Come
§ Episode 9: Power!

Assignment Due (10 pts): Please write a two-page (double-spaced) definition of hip
hop, using 12-point font and MLA style. Your definition should draw on the previous
four readings, the films as well as your own thoughts. I would like you to use at least
four quotes from the written texts to support your working definition. You should try
to quote from at least 2-3 different readings, and you may also use films.

Papers due: April 25, 2020 (upload under “assignments” on Canvas by 8pm)

Week 5: Local Geographies (April 27-May 2)

• Please visit the Civil Rights Website http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/ and read
through as many sections as possible.
• Asante, Jr., MK “Interview” from It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop

Assignment Due (10 pts): As a start to our discussion this week, please post a short
description of your neighborhood from your own perspective (by Wednesday at
noon). What does it look like, smell like, sound like? What does your house look like?
How big is your room? Do you have a backyard? How long have you lived there?
Please use as many adjectives as possible. After you have done this, locate your
neighborhood on the Seattle Civil Rights webpage and answer the questions on the
weekly prompt. If your neighborhood is not included there, please allow for extra
time to research the racial segregation covenants for your city and/or county.

Week 6: The Town (May 4-9)

• Reading: Watkins, S. Craig “Introduction: Back in the Day” from Hip Hop Matters
• Watch Otherside
o Link to film: https://www.pbs.org/video/kcts-9-documentaries-otherside/

Assignment Due (10 pts): Please research and post information on one local hip
hop artist, providing their background information, current projects and links to
upcoming shows. Please post by Wednesday at noon. In order to receive full points
for this assignment, you will need to do more than just look at their website. You
should listen to their music and do local newspaper searches (Seattle Weekly, Stranger,
etc) and find out as much information as possible. You would do well to get started
early on this assignment, as I will only accept one entry per artist. This means if
someone posts about your artist before you do, you will need to post about another

5
 artist. To avoid unnecessary frustration on this assignment, I’d advise you to research
at least three local artists. Please do not email me and complain that your artist has
already been taken. This is why I’m asking you to research more than one artist so
that you are prepared.

Week 7: Hip Hop and Feminism (May 11-16)

• Watch Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes
o Link to film: available to stream through UW library system
https://washington.kanopy.com/video/hip-hop-beyond-beats-and-rhymes

Assignment Due (10 pts): Using the UW library database, please find, summarize
and post a PDF of a recent academic article that deals with hip hop and feminism.
Who wrote the article? What is their position on the subject? Do you agree with their
position? What kind of evidence do they use to support their
claims/critiques/observations about hip hop and feminism? Please post the first part
of the assignment by Wednesday at noon. The second part of this short writing will
to be to read and comment extensively on at least one other article (posted by
one your fellow classmates). See Canvas for further instructions.

Week 8: Decoded Part I (May 18-23)

• Jay Z, Decoded (first half)
• Watch: Charlie Rose interview with Jay Z
o Link to video:

Week 9: Decoded Part II (May 25-30)

• Jay Z, Decoded (second half)

Week 10: Hip Hop definition (June 1-6)

• Assignment Due (10 pts): Please submit a four-page (double-spaced) revision of your
definition of hip hop culture. You should use additional readings in addition to those
you’ve already used for the first paper. See discussion board for more details and
suggestions.

Papers due: June 6, 2020 (upload under “assignments” on Canvas by 8pm)