Rap by its very nature is controversial and may be upsetting or challenging for some students. If you are new to the world of rap, please consider this your warning.

Many of the songs you will listen to in class contain language that you might find offensive. We do not edit the language of the artists we discuss as we do not believe this kind of censorship is helpful to a critical review. You are welcome to use quotes in your written responses that include offensive language, except that we do ask that you use n**** instead of spelling out this word. We ask that your own writing be academic in nature, thoughtful, and well written as it would be in any other course. Rap is worthy of being treated with academic inquiry so please refrain from slang or street language when possible.

Likewise, many of the images we will explore together this semester openly and sometimes graphically show violence, sex, drugs as well as images many of you may consider sexist or derogatory to women or members of the LGBTQ community. We are aware of this. The content of all this material will be discussed critically throughout the course so be patient. 

In your own writing we ask that you refrain from sentiments which could be considered racist, sexist, or derogatory to any people group. Academia is about learning to express strong opinions in a way which is well documented and researched and which uses thoughtful, appropriate language.

About the Authors

This is our ninth year crafting and presenting the material in this course. Every semester is slightly different as the music continues to develop and the issues addressed are shaped by world events. Because this is an online resource we are blessed with the opportunity to update it every semester so we do our best to bring you the latest while still honoring the foundation on which the movement lies. 

We will talk a lot in class about how we came to develop this course and why we think it is important, but we did want to give you a little sense of who we. This class is a collaboration between us. 

Mike is a product of 1990s rap who was raised in marginalized communities, under the Code of the Streets and immersed in the world of rap and criminality. He is a hip hop scholar in the truest sense of the world and has lived and survived many of the issues the music addresses, including having done time in prison for felony trafficking and drug sales.

Rebecca is an Associate Professor at NAU who has taught issues related to the course for a long time. She has spent a great deal of time in the hood, both personally and professionally, often with Mike, but this is not where her roots lie. She is also the faculty advisor to NAU’s Hood Initiative.

Every piece of the content has been created in discussion and collaboration between us. Most of the ideas are original thoughts from Mike based on lived experience and knowledge of the music, and Rebecca is typically responsible for shaping them into an academic experience, including writing the textbook and researching supporting material.

In her role at NAU, Rebecca will be your professor and solely responsible for grading your assignments and teaching you in the classroom. However, Mike and Rebecca discuss the ongoing experience just about every day so Mike’s influence is ever-present throughout the experience. It is a true collaboration.