There are many definitions of Hip Hop out in the world today. The Free Dictionary alone has about four, two of which I find to be, for the most part, true and useful. According to this dictionary Hip Hop is, “A popular urban youth culture, closely associated with rap music and with the style and fashions of African-American inner-city residents” and, “a US pop culture movement originating in the 1980s comprising rap music, graffiti, and break dancing”. I would like to focus on the words “culture” and “pop culture movement” as to reasons defending the idea that Hip Hop or Rap should indeed be used in the classroom. Not only do these words help prove why rap should be used, but also the idea that engaging students who would otherwise not be interested in school is a strong object for its usefulness.
The reason I bring up the definitions of rap is purely to focus on the “culture” and historical aspect of the explanation. The legendary rapper KRS-one states in his written work, An Introduction to Hip Hop that, “We (Hiphop) are a very real People with a very real and specific cultural identity. When you say “Hip Hop” in the world today every urbanized person knows what you are talking about and can describe our cultural characteristics instantly”. If we look at Hip Hop as a movement, a historical piece of American culture and identity, I absolutely think it should be something that is taught in the classroom. Ultimately, Hip Hop has a multi-layered history that dates back many years, which began as a resistance to the status quo, and eventually spread its influence beyond the United Sates, to many different countries across the globe. I believe the historical relevancy of Hip Hop alone is enough to give reason for its inclusion in educational curriculums. However the fact that it has touched millions of people in America and elsewhere also leads me to believe in its usefulness to educate.
Across America, children are struggling in education, whether it is receiving or teaching. According to StudentsFirst.org, Statistics About Education in America, “More than 67 percent of all fourth graders scored below proficient, meaning they are not reading at grade level, and only 32 percent of eighth graders and 38 percent of twelfth graders are at or above grade level.” This is a pressing problem in our country, and solutions must be found. If rap helps to engage students, and makes them think, “I am interested in what my teacher has to say”, then why not? I believe academia needs to be a bit more open-minded when it comes to what has “educational value” and the traditional subjects. After all, the world is only progressing forward and we must accept the fact that there is not only one form of intelligence. University Professor Gerald Graff spoke about his personal experience in school, and wrote passionately about street smarts vs. book smarts. In Hidden Intellectualism he writes, “It is self-defeating to decline to introduce any text of subject that figures to engage students who will otherwise tune out academic work entirely.” The educational community must realize that the traditional intellectual is not the only one who exists in the world we live in. When those who have been educated in a customary manor step out in the world, will they only be meeting and conversing with people who think like they have been taught to think? Absolutely not. If we want to reach out and educate everyone, it is essential that we think outside of the box, so we can cater to all types. That is not to say that we should completely give up Shakespeare and Joyce, though incorporating new forms of teaching might be the answer.