MUHL 2624 - Survey of Hip Hop
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 41871,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Stephen Harvey
Email: spharvey@ysu.edu
Course Description
2624. Survey of Hip Hop. An historical survey of Hip Hop music from its origins through the early 21st Century. 3 s.h.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | Rap and Hip Hop Culture | Fernando Orejuela |
Rap and Hip Hop Culture by Fernando Orejuela (Oxford University Press)
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Introduction: What is hip hop? What is rap? Read Chapter 1 | Material as assigned | |
| 8/31 | Week 2 9/1 The South Bronx: Historical and Social Context: What is hip hop, and how is it distinguished from rap? What is hip hop’s significance in American culture? What were the social, economic, and political conditions that gave birth to hip hop culture? Read Chapter 2 | Material as assigned | |
| 9/7 | The Emergence of a Hip Hop Community: How and why did graffiti writers, DJs, and dancers come together to form a community? Read Chapter 3 | Material as assigned | |
| 9/14 | Cultural Roots: How is hip hop connected to the cultural traditions of the African and African American diasporas? Read Chapter 4 | Material as assigned | |
| 9/21 | Review Chapters 1-4 Ch 1-4 Exam | Material as assigned | |
| 9/28 | The Emergence of Old-School Hip Hop: How did the emergence of MCs grow the community and appeal to the commercialization of hip hop music? Read Chapter 5 | Material as assigned | |
| 10/5 | The Concept of the “New School” and the Golden Era: When and how did hip hop music become a cross-cultural, mass-marketed commodity? What is the meaning of tradition, and how is this concept reflected in the new school? Read Chapter 6 | Material as assigned | |
| 10/12 | Messages Rap, Hard Core, and Concepts of Black Nationalism: How is message or conscious rap related to the ideology of Black Power and the concept of soul? Read Chapter 7, pp. 107–116 | Material as assigned | |
| 10/19 | New School’s Hard Core Rap, G-style: How does rap represent both social and political commentary and a voice of resistance? Read Chapter 7, pp. 116–134 | Material as assigned | |
| 10/26 | Chapter 5-7 Review Chapter 5-7 Exam | Material as assigned | |
| 11/2 | New School’s Hard Core Rap II, Gangsta and X-Rated—Real or Imagined: What are some of the issues that underscore the representation and exploitation of rap music? What are the social roots of gangsta and X-rated rap, and how can we relate these forms to African American folk traditions? Read Chapter 8, pp. 135–150 | Material as assigned | |
| 11/9 | The Gangsta Trend and Issues of Representation: How did non-gangsta rappers respond to gangsta rap’s domination in the 1990s? Read Chapter 8, pp. 150–172 | Material as assigned | |
| 11/16 | Going Underground, Going South: What is underground hip hop? Where is the “Third” Coast? Read Chapter 9, pp. 173–188 | Material as assigned | |
| 11/23 | Styles, Identities, and the New Millennium: How have hip hop culture and music influenced new forms of youth expression? How has hip hop changed in the second millennium? Read Chapter 9, pp. 189–205 and Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Discussion Final Timeline Submission | Material as assigned | |
| 11/30 | Chapter 8-10 Review Chapter 8-10 Exam | Material as assigned | |
| 12/7 | Final exam | Material as assigned |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.