Thanks!

Dear Class of THR 380 Fall 2010-
Thanks so much for an amazing semester. I learned so much from each and every one of you. Please feel free to email me and update me about your work and future plans as you continue your journeys here at KU and move forward to new beginnings. If you have a vision for your life, make it happen. Don't wait. Your experience here at KU is one part of a larger journey. You can do anything that you believe you can do. Your presentations were an amazing example of what types of things are possible when you just step out and think, imagine and do it.
All my best to you- Dr. NHP

Week 15- Got Next? The Future of Hip-hop

From the works of beatbox flautist Greg Patillo to the innovative remixed dance style of the French performance troupe Big City Brains we can see that Hip-hop is not dead. So what does the future of Hip-hop look like? Hip-hop's impact on global popular culture is undeniable. From inspiring social change to re-inscribing negative image of women in the media, Hip-hop reveals the good, the bad and the ugly of all of aspects of society. Where do you think Hip-hop will be in the next 10 years? In your freestyle blog this, reflect on your relationship to Hip-hop and its impact on the world. What does the future hold? You can respond in any way you like narratives, images, sound, etc.

Week 15- Global Hip-hop

This week is a freestyle blog. You can blog on whatever you like. Think about the global impact of a music genre that started in a low income community in the Bronx. Can you think of any other music genre has had as significant an impact on people regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class or disability? Love it, or hate it, Hip-hop has shaped popular culture around the world for both the positive and the negative. As KRS-One says: Freedom is where the work is..." Think about it.

Week 14 - Hip-hop Fashion and Styles of Self-Adornment

This week we are blogging on Hip-hop Fashion and Self-Adorment. In what way do you see Hip-hop influencing the way people present themselves? How has Hip-hop shaped your style? Self-adornment is the practice decorating yourself using hairstyles, clothing, jewelry, etc. Think about the ways that Hip-hop has impacted all of these styles of self-presentation in fashion and the media. How does fashion sample from diverse cultures?

Week 13- Hip-Hop, Politics and Activism

As you blog on key words POLITICS and IDENTITY in relationship to Hip-hop music and culture this week, think about the intersections, overlap, contradictions that occur when presenting one's political views. Some prompts to consider are as follows: In what ways are identities inherently political? Is it possible to separate politics from personal identity? How do institutions and individuals present political perspectives? What types of direct actions do individuals and collectives take to assert political ideas? Think broadly about Hip-hop's impact on the construction and performance of identity in our everyday interactions. How does race, ethnicity, gender and disability shape political perspectives in Hip-hop?

Week 12 Freestyle blog on Hip-hop Theater and Performance

This week please write a freestyle blog on Hip-hop Theater. Based on your experience in American theater, how do you think Hip-hop is changing the content of what we see in American theater and how theater is presented? How is Hip-hop shaping new theater audiences?

Week 11- Hip-hop and Fine Art

When you discuss Hip-hop Aesthetics and Fine Art this week, think about the culture of Hip-hop and the themes Hip-hop artists explore. How do fine artists in Hip-hop create bridges between private and public and notions of "street" and "fine" in their art? How is Hip-hop Arts inaccessibility to the urban working class a contradiction of the street art aesthetic? What part of Hip-hop Aesthetic speak to you (urban blight, braggadocio, call and response, polyculturalism, etc.) in the work of a particular artist?