Rapper Kendrick Lamar Inspires a Professor In Georgia

Dillah810

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The article is from Octobrt 7th but I didn't see any thread on it when I searched it.

Kendrick Lamar’s debut album Good Kidd, M.a.a.d City has won many awards and sold millions of copies. But it also motivated one professor at George Regents University in Augusta, Georgia.

Professor Adam Diehl is currently teaching a freshman English Composition course entitled Good Kids, Mad Cities, which allows students to analyze the complexity of Kendrick’s storytelling format throughout his album, while helping them to become better writers and appreciators of hip-hop culture. Additionally, students will also have to write a research paper on a topic that was featured on the album (e.g. misogyny, gang violence, increasing incarnation rates, police brutality, etc.)



According to hiphopdx.com, Professor Diehl says, “I decided to center the class onGood Kidd, M.a.a.d City because I think Kendrick Lamar is the James Joyce [one of the most influential poets in the early 20th century] of Hip-Hop.”



Lamar’s album is a conceptual artwork that depicts real-life events that are very relatable to many youth members in today’s society. His hit-single Swimming Pools is about being peer pressured. “The first verse was about me indulging in alcohol and not knowing the actual damage it could do to my body. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in high school, that’s what my album is mostly about,” stated Lamar.

I think it’s a great tool to use in a classroom setting. You can see what it’s like to be a good kid living in a city full of trouble,” stated Amir Franklin, a Hotel and Restaurant Management major, at Eastern Michigan University.

Is this a good idea? Tell us what you think.

http://thehiphopcollections.wordpre...ndrick-lamar-inspires-a-professor-in-georgia/
 

drewbreez

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The article is from Octobrt 7th but I didn't see any thread on it when I searched it.

Kendrick Lamar’s debut album Good Kidd, M.a.a.d City has won many awards and sold millions of copies. But it also motivated one professor at George Regents University in Augusta, Georgia.

Professor Adam Diehl is currently teaching a freshman English Composition course entitled Good Kids, Mad Cities, which allows students to analyze the complexity of Kendrick’s storytelling format throughout his album, while helping them to become better writers and appreciators of hip-hop culture. Additionally, students will also have to write a research paper on a topic that was featured on the album (e.g. misogyny, gang violence, increasing incarnation rates, police brutality, etc.)



According to hiphopdx.com, Professor Diehl says, “I decided to center the class onGood Kidd, M.a.a.d City because I think Kendrick Lamar is the James Joyce [one of the most influential poets in the early 20th century] of Hip-Hop.”



Lamar’s album is a conceptual artwork that depicts real-life events that are very relatable to many youth members in today’s society. His hit-single Swimming Pools is about being peer pressured. “The first verse was about me indulging in alcohol and not knowing the actual damage it could do to my body. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in high school, that’s what my album is mostly about,” stated Lamar.

I think it’s a great tool to use in a classroom setting. You can see what it’s like to be a good kid living in a city full of trouble,” stated Amir Franklin, a Hotel and Restaurant Management major, at Eastern Michigan University.

Is this a good idea? Tell us what you think.

http://thehiphopcollections.wordpre...ndrick-lamar-inspires-a-professor-in-georgia/

There are a lot of institutions of higher ed that do this, actually.

Buzzfeed made a whole list, and it includes a bunch of courses including a Black Masculinity course at Vassar College that deeply explores hip hop and other forms of black oration.

Peep the description:

What it’s about: “From Hip Hop to Paul Beatty’s White Boy Shuffle to Spike Lee’s Bamboozled to Dave Chappelle to Aaron McGruder’s Boondocks to Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G character, black masculinity seems to be a contemporary site of massive satire. This course explores the history, style, content and movement of black, mostly male, satirical comic narratives and characters.”

Where you can take it: Vassar College
 

Amestafuu (Emeritus)

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The album really isn't that deep brehs
So you would think but not to the average listener today. Just experiment in real life and ask how many people that like swimming pools what the song is about. We had arguments about the meaning when it came out on the boards.

Most people didn't know it was about peer pressure or alcoholism they just hear the song as a party anthem. Comprehension is a huge problem. Using relatable material to teach is not lazy it makes the learning process easier.

God forbid any 90's lyricist dropped debut albums today :dead:
 

observe

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as an english student this idea is dumb and boring..why the fukk would you write about a hip hop album when their are so many more social issues going on that would make for better essays
 

tehparadox

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The album really isn't that deep brehs
it is

the writing style is absolutely beautiful and poetic. if I had to analyze something, it would be gkmc.

Also like someone said before, its crazy how many verses flew over people heads. like money trees for example, the entire first verse is dedicated to Eazy E and I was surprised that nobody got it at time.
 
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