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Professor: Andrew J. Ryan
Office Hours: ENT 4th Floor Conference Room, Monday 6.00 to 7.00 PM or
by appointment
Meeting Times: Robinson Hall B205, Monday 7.20 to 10.00 PM
Course Web-site: http://classweb.gmu.edu/ajryan/nclc275_f02/syll.html
Contact Information:
703.993.1436 (school)
703.234.0750 (work)
202.841.4090 (cell) after 9 PM
ajryan[at]gmu.edu
Course Description and Goals: BEATS, RHYME AND CULTURE will examine the history of hip-hop and the effect it has had on our society. The primary focus of this course is to engage hip-hop not as a mode of entertainment, but as a medium of communication which impacts, represents, and misrepresents the life experiences of youth (especially inner-city youth) in the United States. The historical, socio-economic, and musical/aesthetic contexts from which hip-hop emerged will be analyzed. Distinct themes and phenomena that define hip-hop will be presented and discussed as well. The goal of this course is to have you critically think, write, and discuss the origins, themes, and direction of hip-hop in the context of contemporary American culture and abroad.