Pre-Reading Questions Week Eleven

Over the next two weeks we will doing a critical examination of hip-hop: how do issues of race, class, gender, sexuality and social justice engage with hip-hop and the music industry?

What do you think the purpose of hip-hop music is? Is it just to entertain? Does it have some kind of agenda?

What do you about the role that race plays in hip-hop? What race are the majority of hip-hop artists? Are the consumers of hip-hop racially diverse or racially homogenous?

If hip-hop is problematic, why is it so popular?

Are their artists or songs that don't employ the more problematic aspects of hip-hop? What are they? Why are they different? 

Watch Chris Rock talk about how tired he is of defending rap music. (Warning: explicit language).

Why does Rock feel that he has to defend Rap Music? What are some of the things that he thinks are bad about this genre? 

What are some of the positive aspects of hip-hop? What are some of its more problematic aspects? 

What is the role of women in hip-hop? Is hip-hop misogynistic? Why or why not? 

How does gender intersect with race in hip-hop?

Watch: Jay-Smooth discuss the tension between personal responsibility and societal change in hip-hop. 

What does Jay Smooth think needs to happen in order for hip hop to become healthy again? 

What flaws does he find in each side of the argument?