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Articles on Rap

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Numerous rap songs criticize the Reagan administration for its complicity in the illicit drug trade. Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

Rap artists have penned plenty of lyrics about US presidents – this course examines what they say about Reagan and the 1980s

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.
Flowers are laid near the scene of a mass shooting during a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Ill. Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

Scapegoating rap hits new low after July Fourth mass shooting

Since rap music emerged in mainstream culture in the late 1980s, politicians have derided its lyrics and imagery as violent. Over the years, rap has become an easy target to blame for violence.
The Cover of Swedish rapper Yasin’s second album featured his passport stamped with “convicted in advance” on it. Byn Block Entertainment

Swedish gangsta rap exposes a dark side of the country some would rather ignore

“Sweden’s most wanted”, raps the controversial artist Yasin in his track 20 Talet. The rapper’s lyrics are without filter, direct, raw, born within a marginalised and often criminal environment, depicting…
Hip-hop has always criticized America’s education system. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Hip-hop’s love-hate relationship with education

The world of rap music has no shortage of artists who turned their backs on formal education only to become some of education’s biggest benefactors.
Youssoupha performs at the Urban Peace concert at the Stade de France, September 2013. Pierre Andrieu/AFP

How politicians use French rap to stoke divisions

Recent polemical debates over French rappers Youssoupha and Médine show that rap is still not accepted by the political mainstream.
Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine’s new school will focus on teaching students about science and the music industry. David Livingston/Getty Images

New school planned by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine seeks to teach blend of skills to prepare students for real-world jobs

A new school proposed by music moguls Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine seeks to provide students with practical skills they can apply in entertainment and other fields. Is this a new model for education?
K-pop band BTS and their company, Big Hit, have donated money to Black Lives Matter. Most bands and companies in the industry have not made any sort of statements. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Rethinking the K-pop industry’s silence during the Black Lives Matter movement

Few of those in the K-pop industry have donated or even spoken out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

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