Assignment Due (10 pts): Please write a two page (double-spaced) definition of hip hop, using 12 point font and MLA style. Your definition should draw on the previous four readings, the films as well

Assignment Due (10 pts): Please write a two page (double-spaced) definition of hip hop, using 12 point font and MLA style. Your definition should draw on the previous four readings, the films as well as your own thoughts. I would like you to use at least four quotes from the written texts to support your working definition. 

Papers due: July 14, 2018 (on Canvas by 8pm)

Your hip hop definition is due at the end of this week. See the syllabus and below for more info. If you click on "assignments" and the "hip hop definition" assignment, there should be a button on the top right side for you to submit it via Canvas (you'll also see a grading rubric). Please keep in mind that I'm looking for an argument here, a point of view that is supported by evidence. I don't need you to tell me EVERYTHING about hip hop. What I'd like to see is a "way in" to a larger discussion about hip hop or an aspect of hip hop. Each of the writers we've read so far serve as examples of how to do this. You may also want to research and consider how cultural critics respond to hip hop in various ways. One recent example would be the conversation about cultural appropriation. Another might be hip hop's response to racial profiling or police brutality. You may chose to use this week's readings or not, but I would definitely encourage you to pinpoint a theme or specific issue in your paper.

In other words, you need to position yourself somewhere within the critical "conversation" about hip hop and use some of the readings we've looked at so far to support your argument, to show that you know what you're talking about. This may seem like an easy assignment at first glance, but I'm really looking for a solid perspective that is focused, well-argued and supported with evidence. Public conversations (like the Google debate) can be super frustrating to watch, so this is an opportunity for you to begin to engage in the topic, using logic and evidence to support your claims. It's ok to use "I," but please use it sparingly and try hard to keep your feelings out of it. This isn't a paper about how you feel about hip hop. Your perspective will certainly drive topic choice, but I'd like you to rely on the scholars we are reading as much as possible. Dr. Rose and Dr. Gates, Jr., for example, are among the very best humanities scholars in the world. Why are they spending their time talking and writing about hip hop? And why do people often assume that classes that look at hip hop culture are somehow not as "serious" as other classes? You don't have to answer these questions in particular, but I want your definitions to reflect a deep engagement with the material we are reading and watching. Please refrain from using Wikipedia or general phrases like "hip hop is hard to define." Again, if you're stuck, I would suggest outlining (even making a chart) of how each person we've read (and films we've watched, other than this week) defines hip hop. If you are inspired by this week's readings and films, I'd encourage you to think about how particular artists (like Tupac and Kendrick Lamar) take up the legacy of the Black Power era in their music and videos.

HIP HOP DEF #1

HIP HOP DEF #1

CriteriaRatingsPts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThe paper contains a clearly-articulated, arguable claim

2.0 pts

Full Marks

0.0 pts

No Marks

2.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThe paper is logically structured, with a descriptive title, introduction, conclusion, and supporting arguments

2.0 pts

Full Marks

0.0 pts

No Marks

2.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSources are used appropriately to support author's claims

2.0 pts

Full Marks

0.0 pts

No Marks

2.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSources are cited correctly (MLA style) in the body of the paper and the paper is free from grammar and spelling errors

2.0 pts

Full Marks

0.0 pts

No Marks

2.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThis paper clearly touches on the themes of the course and draws the bulk of its evidence from class readings

2.0 pts

Full Marks

0.0 pts

No Marks

2.0 pts

Total Points: 10.0