A critical race theory scholar explains why it’s problematic to use rap lyrics as evidence of a crime, and what some lawmakers are doing to protect artistic expression.
The exhibit “Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures” at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., on May 4, 2023.
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Greater representation in rap from LGBTQ artists comes as mainstream artists atone for past lyrics.
Puerto Rican singer Residente performs in Havana in 2010. His back reads, ‘We receive flowers and bullets in the very same heart.’
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Ronald Reagan may have been known as ‘The Great Communicator,’ but rap artists don’t view his legacy through such rose-colored glasses. A professor of Black studies and history takes a closer look.
Kanye West provoked criticism recently when he compared reading to eating Brussels sprouts.
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A hip-hop artist and scholar says that while rap stresses the oral tradition, the music is also rife with references to a rich range of literature that spans the globe.
Hip-hop has always criticized America’s education system.
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Rappers have been taking listeners on lyrical journeys to outer space for decades. A hip-hop scholar says their music helps inspire more students to pursue careers among the stars.
Rap songs from Public Enemy and Ludacris have been heard at marches over the killing of George Floyd. But the history of Black American music as a form of protest dates back to the 19th century.
You wouldn’t think Bob Marley ‘shot the sheriff,’ but rappers are held to a double standard.
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When prosecutors introduce lyrics, they’re asking juries to suspend the distinction between author and narrator, reality and fiction, and to read them as literal confessions of guilt.
Hip-hop officially became the most popular music genre in 2018 and continued its reign in 2019, according to Nielsen Music.
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For the second year in a row, hip-hop music is the most popular form of music in the US. So why isn’t it in more of America’s classrooms? A hip-hop scholar weighs in.
Nigerian artist D’banj’s 2004 song Mobolowowon had the first cyber fraud theme in hip-hop music.
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