Growing up hip-hop

growing
workshop
June 20-21, 2007 -- ACE, the AcHievers College Experience
@ American University
Hiphop, commonly spelled “Hip-Hop,” “hip-hop,’ “Hip-hop,” and “Hiphop,” is the name of our collective
consciousness and inner-city strategy toward self-improvement. In its spiritual essence, Hiphop cannot be (and
should not be) interpreted or described in words. It is a feeling. An awareness. A state of mind. KRS-ONE
Maturity: the state or quality of being fully grown or developed. b. The state or quality of being mature.
COURSE
GOALS -The American Heritage® Dictionary
1. Each person will create a personal definition of LYRICAL ANALYSIS
Hip-Hop for use in future activities A
2. Nurture one’s understanding of Hip-Hop as a 1. I met this girl, when I was ten years old
means of identity formation and emotional release. 2. And what I loved most she had so much soul
3. Discuss the role of writing and authenticity/ve- 3. She was old school, when I was just a shorty
racity/maturity within rap music and spoken word 4. Never knew throughout my life she would be there
poetry. for me
------------------------------------------------------------- 5. on the regular, not a church girl she was secular
6. Not about the money, no studs was mic checkin her
B
9. But she was there for me, and I was there for her
13. Eventually if it was meant to be, then it would be
14. because we related, physically and mentally
15. And she was fun then, I’d be geeked when she’d
come around
16. Slim was fresh yo, when she was underground
17. Original, pure untampered and down sister
OUTLINE 18. Boy I tell ya, I miss her
Introduction
Film Clip -- What is Hip-Hop? C
Lyrical Analysis 20. Now periodically I would see
Rap Music -- The Writing Process 21. ol girl at the clubs, and at the house parties
Revolutionary Art: Historical Examples of 22. She didn’t have a body but she started gettin thick
Leadership in Hip-Hop through Pictures quick
Authenticty in Rap: Examining Tupac 23. Did a couple of videos and became afrocentric
Actiivity: Write Your Own Biography Rap 24. Out goes the weave, in goes the braids beads medal-
Lyrics. Literacy and Hip-Hop -- Learning about lions
yourself through Reading and Listening 25. She was on that tip about, stoppin the violence
Journal Writing -- The Other Black Book D
Q&A 26. About my people she was teachin me
Although oppressed groups share common traits, op- 27. By not preachin to me but speakin to me
pression is experienced inside specific communities. 28. in a method that was leisurely, so easily I approached
Consequently, these hidden transcripts emerge not as 29. She dug my rap, that’s how we got close
overt cross-referential moments of protest, but as cul-
30. But then she broke to the West coast, and that was
turally specific forms and expression . . . they depend
at some level on the addressed group having special
cool
access to meanings or messages and can assume the 31. Cause around the same time, I went away to school
privileging of in-group experiences – rap music’s ar-
ticulation of social protest are moments of black social Common “I Used to Love H.E.R.”, Reurrection
protest.
-- Tricia Rose, Black Noise
Tupac Shakur: Keepin it Real vs Keepin it Right Before being popularized by Spike Lee, Tupac
embraced Malcolm X. Scholar Michael Eric Dyson
Full essay ublished in the Spring 2005 Issue of the Jour- compared Tupac to Malcolm X and Martin Luther
nal of Hip-Hop [www.journalofhiphop.org] King Jr. Philosophically, Tupac’s the resemblance to
Malcolm X is stronger. Tupac’s militant stance is due
Keeping It Right in part to his family ties to the Black Panther Party.
Tupac Shakur’s first three albums are a testament His mother, Afeni Shakur, was a member of the “New
to his genius. Using music as his medium, he sends a York 21” Panthers, who were accused of planning to
message of upliftment to the Black community -- es- bomb public places.
pecially the young Black male. Each record is a snow Before joining Digital Underground, Tupac was in a
globe, allowing the listener to start at track one and peer group called Strictly Dope, with fellow emcee Ray
into his life until the final snowflake has rested on the last
Tyson (Roc. T). On a track entitled “Panther Power,”
track. With Me Against the World being the foremost Shakur exclaims:
instance of this, we briefly examine how Tupac attempted
to “Keep It Right.” As real as it seems the American dream / Ain’t noth-
ing but a calculated scheme / To keep us locked up
“Words of Wisdom” shot up and back in chains / To deny us our future to
On the insightful track “Words of Wisdom,” from the rob our name / Kept our history a mystery, but now I
2Pacalypse Now album, Tupac captures the emotion and see / The American dream wasn’t meant for me
inquiry of today’s youth as he questions the attention al-
ways given to Martin Luther King Jr. and the “American It is undeniable that Tupac’s pro-Black message was
Dream” which King believed in: shaped by his close contacts with his extended Black
No Malcolm X in my history text / Why is that? / Cause Panther family. In an interview one year after his
he tried to educate and liberate all blacks / Why is Martin death, Afeni Shakur comments on her son’s connec-
Luther King in my book each week? / He told blacks, if tion with the lack Panther Party, “Tupac was and re-
they get smacked, turn the other cheek mains and child of the Black Panther Party. I always
felt that Tupac was living witness to the who we are,
Commenting on the “American Dream,” the belief that are and who we were.”
hard work and an honest livelihood alone will be reward-
ed with financial gains and overall success: “Keep Ya Head Up” was one of the first hip-hop
tracks dedicated strictly to Black women. Tupac
I don’t get it, so many questions went through my mind touched a generation of females with his sincerity:
/ I get sweated, They act as if asking questions is a crime
/ But forget it, one day I’m gonna prove them wrong / You know it makes me unhappy (what’s that) / When
Now every brother had to smother on the welfare line brothas make babies, and leave a young mother to be
/ The American dream, though it seems it’s attainable / a pappy ... I wonder why we take from our women /
They’re pulling your sleeve, don’t believe Why we rape our women, do we hate our women? /
I think it’s time to kill for our women / Time to heal
our women, be real to our women
Further References and Websites:
The Hip-Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis
in African American Culture, Bakari Kitwana
Politics and Culture from the perspective of the Hip Hop
Generation, Yvonne Bynoe
Socialism and Democracy, Issue 36, Hip hop, race, and
cultural politics [www.sdonline.org/backissues.htm#36]
Vibe History of Hip-Hop (edited)
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, Jeff Chang
Davey D Message Board [www.daveyd.com]
http://p076.ezboard.com/fpoliticalpalacefrm57 piece by TATS CRU www.tatcru.com
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 5 stages of writing
PRE-WRITING
Identify your sources of inspiration: what do I know about this topic? Where can I go for more ideas?
Magazines, newspapers, media (radio, TV, Internet), personal experience, film
Still need more info?
Conduct an interview based on your topic
(with a parent, teacher, school administrator, someone who’s intellect you admire)
Brainstorm -- Can be done individually or in a group (group brainstorming should be done
silently and without criticism). The goal is to accumulate as many thoughts on the topic
as you can and then choose the best ones from your list to write about
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes (grammar, spelling) in pre-writing, you can fix those later. Your goal is to get
your ideas onto paper before you forget them, then you can write and know that you didn’t forget anything.

WRITING
Now you begin to put your thoughts on paper. Here are some tips for this stage:
1. Choose your best ideas from PRE-WRITING
2. WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! Let the ideas flow . . . don’t start to REVISE . . yet.
3. Don’t worry about the length. Get used to writing enough to get your point across as opposed to a set
number of sentences.
4. Go over your prewriting list before you consider your work complete. If there is not enough content,
KEEP WRITING!

REVISING Adding
A.R.R.R. Method for Revising
What else does the reader need to know?
Tips for Revising: Rearranging Is the information in the most logical and most
1. Make decisions about how you
effective order?
want to improve your writing
2. Look at your writing from a Removing What extra details or unnecessary bits of
different point of view information are in this piece of writing?
3. Pick places where your writing Replacing What words or details could be replaced by clearer
could be clearer, more interest- or stronger expressions?
ing, more informative and more
convincing. Editing
This is where you begin to fine-tune (word-smith) your writing. Good writing becomes
great by close attention to details during the editing process.
The following are included in editing and should be included during this step:
* spelling * capitalization * transition between paragaphs
* sentence structure * grammar * subject/verb agreement
* overuse of words * punctuation * consistent verb tense
It is always best to allow someone else (an adult) to read your work. A good way to edit your own work is to
read your essay BACKWARDS. This usually allows you to identify mistakes on your writing which may not be
apparent if reading forwards. Also, remember to SPELL CHECK! It’s free, so USE IT!
You are now ready to turn in your work. Be sure to use your best penmanship!

publishing Remember, if the teacher cannot read it, they will not be able to grade it favorably.
If possible, type your work, as you continue in school, hand-written assignments will
no longer be accepted.
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 rhythm and poetry
Rhythm
Alliteration
The repetition of the sma or
Allusion
similar consonant sounds on
words that are close together.
A reference to someone or something
RAP MUSIC Peter Piper picked peppers that is known from history, literature,
But Run rocked rhymes religion, politics, sports, science, or some
- Peter Piper, Run DMC other form of culture.

Now you begin to put your thoughts on paper. Here are some tips for this stage:
1. Choose your best ideas from PRE-WRITING
2. WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! Let the ideas flow . . . don’t start to REVISE . . yet.
3. Don’t worry about the length. Get used to writing enough to get your point across as opposed to a set
number of sentences.
4. Go over your prewriting list before you consider your work complete. If there is not enough content,
KEEP WRITING!

Metaphor Adding
A.R.R.R. Method for Revising
What else does the reader need to know?
Tips for Revising: Rearranging Is the information in the most logical and most
1. Make decisions about how you
effective order?
want to improve your writing
2. Look at your writing from a Removing What extra details or unnecessary bits of
different point of view information are in this piece of writing?
3. Pick places where your writing Replacing What words or details could be replaced by clearer
could be clearer, more interest- or stronger expressions?
ing, more informative and more
convincing. Simile
This is where you begin to fine-tune (word-smith) your writing. Good writing becomes
great by close attention to details during the editing process.
The following are included in editing and should be included during this step:
* spelling * capitalization * transition between paragaphs
* sentence structure * grammar * subject/verb agreement
* overuse of words * punctuation * consistent verb tense
It is always best to allow someone else (an adult) to read your work. A good way to edit your own work is to
read your essay BACKWARDS. This usually allows you to identify mistakes on your writing which may not be
apparent if reading forwards. Also, remember to SPELL CHECK! It’s free, so USE IT!
You are now ready to turn in your work. Be sure to use your best penman-

Onomatopoeia ship! Remember, if the teacher cannot read it, they will not be able to grade
it favorably. If possible, type your work, as you continue in school, hand-
written assignments will no longer be accepted.
5
We will play several songs and show a portion of the lyrics on the screen. Typically when lis-
tening to rap music, you do not read the words. You are left to COMPREHEND the words and
determine the appropriate meaning.
Below you will find space to interpret the lyrics we play. Be sure to focus in the following:
1. What is the main message?
2. Take any 2 lines and translate them? How would you explain the lines to someone from
outer space?
3. Is there anything clever that you heard? Something that may take extra thought to figure
out.
4. Are there any ‘money’ words? Money words are words which you do not typically use in
writing or conversation, but you know what they mean. These are words you should keep
track of to increase your vocabulary.
5. Are there any ‘poor’ words? Poor words are words like ‘big’, ‘thing’, ‘boy’, ‘good’’ . . one syl-
lable words which are often overused and do not paint a picture for the reader.
As a general rule, money words SHOW meaning, poor words TELL.
ALL Great writers aim to show and not tell!!!

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 Key Organizational Movements: Hip-Hop Activism in Action

Zulu Nation -- Goals of the Universal Zulu Nation

1. To educate, develop and improve the present state of mind of adults and youth around the world.
2. To spread our message of love, peace and unity amongst all races through our ways and actions.
3. To preserve the culture of Hip-Hop and all art forms created from it and to use music as a medium for cul-
tural exchange and understanding.
4. To provide a safe haven to nurture the inherent genius of adults and youth around the world.
5. To assist others in developing careers and opportunities as they express their God-given potential and talents.
Stop The Violence Movement: Raised over $600,000 for the National Urban League. Organized to promote
peace within the Hip-Hop community. Recorded the Song “Self-Destruction”
H.E.A.L. Movement: Human Education Against Lies, organized by KRS-1 was a production of a collaborative
video and album by artists designated to destroy common sense deficiency syndrome (CSDS). Artists involved
includeL Kid Capri, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Jam Master Jay, Chuck D, Jonathan
Demme, Ted Demme, Ziggy Marley. Proceeds went to distribute millions of free books to youth worldwide.
The Refugee Project: A non-profit created by the (Re)Fugees to champion underprivileged youth. Founded in
1996, the project encourages positive social action among at-risk youth.
Hip-Hop for Respect: This maxi-single, produced by Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Devin Roberson, released on
March 14th in memory of Amadou Diallo and Tyesha Miller. Proceeds were given to the Hip-Hop for respect
Foundation, a non-profit organization that combats police brutality worldwide.
Hip-Hop Summit Action Network: Founded in 2001, the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) is dedi-
cated to harnessing the cultural relevance of Hip-Hop music to serve as a catalyst for education advocacy and
other societal concerns fundamental to the well-being of at-risk youth throughout the United States.
Hip-Hop Congress: The goal of The Hip Hop Congress is to create a viable forum for people to learn, ex-
press themselves, interact with diverse ideas and cultures, and gain the tools they need to facilitate their own
goals. The Hip Hop Congress hopes to set up a global marketplace and network where like-minded individuals
and communities can connect, share resources and develop ideas and strategy. While the Hip Hop Congress is
founded on an ideal, our actions are pragmatic and powerful.
The Unbound Project: A compilation of rappers and poets trying to raise the awareness of the prison crisis in
the United States. The Unbound Project donates all of its proceeds to the Mumia Abu Jamal Defense Fund.
Honorable Mentions:
• Vote or Die: 2004 mobilization effort to increase the number of young voters in the presidential election.
• 2002 NYC Rally against projected $1.2B cut in funding for public schools
• All in the Same Gang: West Coast gang treaty organized by Hip-Hop in 1990

Hip-Hop, as with many popular

cultures, is unique in the sense
that to accurately document
the culture, requires its inter-
preters to participate in its
expressions. - KRS-ONE
Andrew J. Ryan, raised in the Bronx, New York, is the Executive Director of Hip-Hop Matters, a non-profit organization whose mission
is to energize, motivate, empower and support America’s youth through responsible use of Hip-Hop culture. He is also the Editor-in-
Chief of The Journal of Hip-Hop, an educational publication that embodies the elements of the Hip-Hop culture.
Ryan’s urban upbringing sparked his passion to integrate Hip-Hop and education. He has taught at the university level since 1999.
Currently he teaches at the University of the District of Columbia and George Mason University. In the Spring of 2005, Mr. Ryan
began teaching at the high school level and will spend the 2006-07 school year teaching math at Friendship Junior Academy in
NE DC... Mr. Ryan holds a BS in Computer Science and MS in Systems Engineering and expects to complete his PhD in Instructional
Technology in 2009 Andrew J. Ryan is the Executive Director of Hip-Hop Matters, and the founding editor in chief of the Journal of
Hip-Hop. Raised in the Bronx New York, the former systems engineer left a promising research career to focus on his true passion.
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