Hip Hop Renaissance: The Struggle for Self-expression

The culmination of this project is the production and distribution of a CD with original and sampled music and poetry. Students will explore primarily the writings of Langston Hughes, Marcus Garvey and Tupac Shakur, and will compose original poems inspired by these writings and the experiences of the lessons. The aim is to enable and encourage students to be Hip Hop artists by helping them understand the basic elements of Hip Hop. The unit will focus on mastering verbal skills as well as music technology skills. Students will understand the connection between self-expression and the struggle for freedom as experienced in African American History and by all people.

By comparing and contrasting the movements of the Harlem Renaissance and that of Hip Hop, students will make connections between arts, technology, history, social change and personal freedom. By being actively involved in producing a marketable product they will learn real-life skills which will help them find solutions to problems.