AADS 2600 Blues, Hip Hop & Place: Black Life in the United States and Brazil
This course uses hip hop to understand how Black people create place across the Americas. Through Big K.R.I.T. (Mississippi) and Baco Exu do Blues (Salvador, Brazil), we will think deeply with blues and hip hop to investigateracial formation, racial capitalism, Black placemaking, and anti-Blackness. Why do both artists claim the blues tradition? What connects the U.S. South to Brazil's Northeast? Pairing close listening with academic texts, students will develop relational analysis skills and learn to hear music as social theory and epistemology. Students will understand how marginalized regions produce Black livingness. No musical training required; lyrics in English translation.
Course overview
- Department
- African and African Diaspora Studies
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Periodically
Requirements fulfilled
- African and African Diaspora Studies: AADS electives numbered 2000 or above (at least six of the eight electives) (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
- University Core: Cultural Diversity (All undergraduates)
- University Core: Social Science (All undergraduates)
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 5.00 / 5 · Excellent
- Instructor rating
- 5.00 / 5 · Excellent
- Terms evaluated
- 1
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Demetrius Murphy | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 2 of 3 |