ABSTRACT
Hip hop music and culture is often the dominant lifestyle of our students. It is important that we, as music educators, embrace all that embodies hip hop. The author of this chapter posits that finding ways to incorporate students’ passion for current music into the music curriculum is the only way to sustain and grow a music program in higher education. This chapter provides personal experiences in the process of developing, creating, and implementing a hip hop course in a university setting. It outlines the purpose of the course, provides insight into developing relevant student learning outcomes, illuminates student project examples, and provides insight into the analysis and critical thinking approaches towards a foundational respect for and appreciation of hip hop. The author argues that the class is structured to be welcoming, inclusive, informative, and transformative, while assignments are disguised as simple music listening or video watching exercises. Understanding how the author fosters critical thinking related to historic and current topics in hip hop and the Black American experience are explored. Implications for the profession, including the need to expand music classes that embrace Black Americans in the music curriculum, are provided in conclusion.
