A. A. Akom discusses the mind-opening concept of Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy (CHHP) in the article Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy as a Form of Liberatory Praxis. Akom’s ideas and analysis of “hip hop pedagogy” form his Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy concept. Still, as he describes, the two differ based on five factors the CHHP actively engages with. The five factors are:
- Foregrounds race and racism and their intersectionality with other forms of oppression
- Challenges traditional paradigms, texts, and theories used to explain the experiences of students of color
- Centralizes experiential knowledge of students of color
- Emphasizes the commitment to social justice
- Encourages a transdisciplinary approach
Akom’s approach to utilizing hip-hop in the classroom offers the opportunity to engage openly with non-white cultures. As he explains, “aspects of youth culture in general, and aspects of white and Asian youth culture in particular, underwent a Black reincarnation via the hip-hop aesthetic” (Akom, 2009, pp. 53). But what does this mean for us as teachers?
Music, in all of its forms, is art. Storytelling and connections through similar experiences create an expressive avenue to draw listeners from all cultural backgrounds, locations, and races. Hip-hop stands out in this category; hip-hop in the 1990s was used as a device to express social discontent to a mass audience. Akom talks about several artists, such as KRS-One and dead prez, who address dissatisfaction with the education system. Hip-hop is a massive part of black culture in America but is also a part of American culture as a whole. We can actively see the issues these artists describe in schools; issues of racism, poverty, misogyny, and incarceration, but these artists also express positivity through love, hope, and joy. Hip-hop is not a malicious art meant to attack the system, but rather a roadway to pave a clearing for change. The power to deliver a strong message across a nation, or globally, allows that message to be heard, examined and understood, so opportunities for change are granted. Rappers and hip-hop artists are able to convey a message that makes sense and speaks to groups that both do and do not relate to the situations they describe. The connection generated between listeners is deeper than the music; the promotion of social justice by discussing societal issues actively engages the students with lives they may or may not live and experience. Hip-hop offers listeners, children, adults, students and teachers alike the opportunity to engage with critical thought and consciousness. Students are encouraged to examine everything and think about the deeper meanings. Examining hip-hop demonstrates the different and/or similar experiences others live through. The expression of discontent, oppression, and mistreatment does not outweigh the love and joy that bonds the artist and the audience. The shared stories and experiences open the audience’s mind to a new realm of very real issues in the world that not everyone experiences.
Below I included the link to a song by rapper Hopsin. Hopsin discusses how the education system damages students’ ability to self-sustain because they are pushed into a world of social inequity and corporate greed that aims to outshine and shut down the general population to line their pockets. The main commentary focuses not on dissing education, the economy, or the government, but on outlining what Hopsin values but was not taught, and what he believes should be understood before students graduate high school.
Verse 2
“Man, can’t you see we’re robots who know not what we do when we got no shot – In the real world until we climb out of this ice cold box – Your whole life has been part of a whole plot to keep you at the bottom while they on top, stay quiet, then they won’t stop – They always tryna show us what we don’t got – They do it to all of us ’til we finally break and go cop a gold watch”
Article Reference
Akom A. (2009). Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy as a Form of Liberatory Praxis. Equity & Excellence in Education, 42(1), 52-66.
Hey Cameron! All I can say is WOW! This was an amazing blog post, it was informative and interesting, but also super personal. When reading this blog post you could tell how much you thoroughly enjoyed the topic being discussed and it’s correlation to the education system. It was hard to choose my favourite part, but I believe it would be the connection of a hip hop song and it’s lyrical connection to the topic’s purposed being mentioned. All I loved how passionate you wore in this blog post. I hope the passion you have continues because truly this was a spectacular blog post!