Current Trends in Black Musical Expression

This course examines forms of black musical expression from the 1980s through the present time. The focus is on hip hop culture and rap, and their expressive antecedents. The course begins with a look at slave music and blues, and continues by exploring the music and times of The Last Poets, Public Enemy, KRS-One, Tupac, Roots, DMX, Lauryn Hill, God’s Property, composer Anthony Davis, and a variety of emerging, very contemporary musicians. Readings feature selections from a variety of sources, both scholarly and popular, including Henry Louis Gates, Houston Baker, Tricia Rose, Scott DeVeaux, Hazel Carby, Angela Davis, and Jessica Care Moore.