Hip-hop is understood as a culture that includes many forms of expression: dance, rap music (emceeing and DJing), slam poetry, fashion, film, and graffiti art. Since its beginning in the Bronx in the 1970s, hip-hop has not only become such a ubiquitous cultural expression but also turned out to be a phenomenal cultural force that has influenced and managed to shape local, national, regional, and global issues.
The Poetics & Politics of Hip-Hop Cultures Symposium will take place at the University of Arizona from February 7-8, 2013. Visit our Program page for a schedule of events and speakers. The symposium will feature discussions and presentations by leading hip-hop scholars around the world, including:
Alain Milon, University of Paris Ouest: "Illegal Mural Expressions in France"
Marcyliena Morgan, Harvard University: "The Hip-Hop Critic in Political Culture"
Halifu Osumare, University of California-Davis: “The Poetics and Politics of Ghanaian Hiplife: Hip-Hop in West Africa”
Susan Somers-Willett, Montclair State University: "'Poetry to Oversee the Dance Floor and the Streets': Saul Williams and the Hybrid Lyric"
Seth Whidden, Villanova University: “Confrontation and Métissage in French Rap's Latest Wave: Binary Audio Misfits, Oxmo Puccino, and Zone Libre”
In addition to discussions and presentations, the symposium will host "Hip-Hop Unplugged," a Poetry Slam Presentation, Reading, and Performance coordinated by John Melillo in collaboration with the University of Arizona Poetry Center, a Hip-Hop Dance and Human Project Performance coordinated by Praise Zenenga, and a Presentation, Workshop, and Live Performance with Hip-Hop Scratching World Champion DJ Odilon.
See Symposium Program for details. Registration is free and open to the public.
