It's Deeper Than Rap: A Study of Hip Hop Music and Composition Pedagogy
Open Access
Author:
Green, Jr., David F.
Graduate Program:
English
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
May 04, 2011
Committee Members:
Raymond Keith Gilyard, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor Keith Gilyard, Committee Chair/Co-Chair Rosa A Eberly, Committee Member Xiaoye You, Committee Member Beverly Lindsay, Committee Member
Keywords:
Hip Hop Hip Hop and Memory Language and Writing Rhetoric and Composition Hip Hop Pedagogy Composition theory African Americna rhetoric
Abstract:
In this dissertation, I assume that hip-hop as a rhetorical practice should be central to the teaching of composition. I focus on metaphors, techniques, and prominent artists of hip-hop and link them to some well-known concepts and questions in composition studies. Specifically, I link metaphors such as flow and work to the metaphor of voice; techniques such as ciphas, mixtapes, and emceeing to collaborative learning, authoritative writing, and teacher performance; the monumental figure Lauryn Hill to the romantic pragmatic tradition that informs progressive teaching; and the technique of sampling to the practice of critical memory in student writing. In particular, this dissertation aims to contribute to composition studies, African American Studies, and the burgeoning field of hip-hop studies through its focus on hip-hop as a contemporary form of African American rhetoric that is instructive for teachers of rhetoric and writing.
