About the course

This course is an interdisciplinary look at the origins and history of Hip Hop as an artistic form and cultural movement and covers literature, visual culture, politics, and music. It is taught by Hank Williams. Interested community members are also welcome to “virtually” take the course and follow along here with us.

Update 2/2015: The course is still offered at Hunter College, but is currently being taught by different faculty members. I’m leaving the site up for informational purposes and can still be contacted via email.

For students in the class

Keep an eye on are the Updates page, where I’ll update weekly reading/ listening/ viewing. You can find PDF files for readings not in the assigned books on the Readings page, where PDF files will patiently wait for you to download and read them. Required books will also be on reserve in Hunter’s library.

For community members and guests

Feel free to follow along with is either virtually (online) or stop by and visit a class session. (Note: Hunter College’s security has changed and restricted building access. E-mail the instructor if you want to join us.) The books are widely available online, in bookstores, and in libraries. E-mail me for a password for the online readings if you need one and kindly include a short introductory note. You might consider signing up for e-mail updates of new posts. (See the form at the bottom of the page.)

Photo: Takuro Mizuta Lippit (DJ Sniff) by Wikimedia user Schorle. CC-BY-SA-3.0. Modified by Hank Williams with Photoscape.