History 271

Devine

Fall 2004

 

Paper Assignment #2 (OPTION B)  – Nelson George, Hip Hop America

 

THE ASSIGNMENT: You do not have to read the entire book (although you are certainly welcome to read the whole book, and some of you who have an interest in hip hop culture may actually want to read the whole book.)  For the purposes of the quiz and the paper assignment, however, you may skip chapters 2, 6, 7, and 9.

 

This paper is due 2 December (the last day of class). 

 

Essays must be at least FOUR FULL PAGES and not more than six full pages. They should be typed in 12-point font and double-spaced with one-inch margins all around. If you did not submit a Coming of Age in Mississippi paper, you must turn in this paper.  You may email me a copy of your paper as an attachment.

 

If you are quoting directly from the book, cite the author and page number in parentheses within the body of the text, i.e. (George, 47). All direct quotes from the book MUST be in quotation marks and must be cited. Paraphrases of ideas drawn from the reading MUST also be cited.

 

Please number your pages (If you are using Microsoft Word, you can do this most easily by pulling down the “Insert” menu and clicking on “page numbers.”) Please give your essay an appropriate or interesting title (clever titles involving puns are always welcome; “Paper 2” is not a good title).  If you have any questions or are in any way unsure about what the questions are asking, be sure to speak with Dave or me via email or in person.

 

See the “On Writing Papers…” section of the syllabus for further information on the paper assignment.  The syllabus is available on line at:

 

http://www.csun.edu/~twd61312/271syl2004.htm

 

 

Choose ONE of the following:

 

 

1.     A well known critic of rap music and hip hop culture has recently offered the following observation:

 

“Hip hop is a cultural form that was originally created by African Americans and was once owned and controlled by them.  More recently, however, the culture has been hijacked by white music executives who have transformed its message into a glorification of violence, crime, drug abuse, and misogyny. As a result, the white establishment in the music industry has perpetuated false and negative stereotypes of black people.  This has proved damaging not only to the African American community, but the nation as a whole.”

 

To what extent does what you have read in Nelson George’s Hip Hop America support or undermine the views expressed in this statement? 

 

[HINT: If you choose to answer this question, you must indicate in the first paragraph of your essay what position your paper will take. (This is your thesis statement.)  For example, you might take the position that the statement completely contradicts what Nelson George says in Hip Hop America; you might say that George would agree with some of what this critic has to say, but not all of it; or, you might say that this critic’s views on hip hop and Nelson George’s are identical or at least pretty much the same.  The position you decide to take is less important than how effectively you back it up.  The rest of your paper should demonstrate to the reader why your thesis is correct. If you believe this critic’s statement contradicts what Nelson George has to say, tell the reader what George does say and explain why he would disagree with this critic.  If you think George would agree with the critic, offer examples from the book where George makes a similar argument.  Whatever you do, don’t write a paper in which you tell the reader whether you agree with the critic – the point is to argue whether Nelson George would agree or not.]

 

2.     Nelson George has written a history of hip hop culture. He discusses its origins, the influences that shaped it (both musical and cultural), the businesses that grew up around it, and how it became more than simply “rap music.”  After reading his book, to what extent would you agree with the statement: 

 

“Hip hop culture is just another name for black ghetto culture.”

 

[HINT: In the first paragraph of your paper, you should state a position – agree, somewhat agree, disagree, somewhat disagree, completely disagree.  Then, in the rest of the paper, explain to the reader why you have taken this position. It will be important to draw specific evidence from the book to help support your position. Your task is not simply to tell the reader what you think; rather, you should show the reader why your position is best supported by the evidence in the book.]

 

3.     In reviewing Nelson George’s book, Hip Hop America, one highly regarded music critic has remarked, “I thought one of the real strengths of the book was how George illustrates crack’s effect on gangsta rap.” 

 

What was crack’s effect on gangsta rap, and, more broadly, what effects have illegal drugs like crack had on hip hop culture?

 

[Hint: To answer this question, you must come to your own viewpoint about what the effects of crack and other drugs have been.  This viewpoint is your thesis statement and it should appear in the first paragraph of your paper.  In the body of your paper, you should draw on what you have read to show the reader how crack affected gangsta rap.  You should also show the reader how crack and other drugs have affected hip hop culture more broadly.  To do this, you must give specific examples from the book and explain to the reader the relationship between drugs and hip hop.  Has the relationship been productive or destructive?  Has drug use guaranteed success and helped artists’ reputations or has it produced failure and loss of reputation?  How has the public perception that hip hop and drug use are related affected hip hop culture?  Regardless of how you discuss this issue, you must use evidence from the book to back up what you are arguing.]