How can hip hop be used as a tool to promote social justice and youth activism in the classroom?  What is the relationship between hip hop culture and the development of critical consciousness amongst students?

Similarly to any form of self-expression, hip-hop can allow a form of expression that becomes more individualized. The article states, “Hip Hop is the dominant language of youth culture” (Akom, 2009, p.53) if you can incorporate students’ lives into their learning, they are more likely to retain knowledge. Hip-hop allows artists to use lyrics to recite life experiences or focus on certain topics often related to social issues. Using a curriculum as a praxis approach for students to connect to their favourite music allows engagement levels to increase and deeper discussion-based learning within classrooms. When students want to learn, they will. For many students, hip-hop is an engaging form of expression. When students are engaged in the learning process, they are more likely to connect to the knowledge they obtain. Hip-hop also has the power to connect students learning to non-educational environments. Hip-hop is popularized through after-school activities within the community. It is beneficial to incorporate hip hip into a pedagogical approach towards social issues because students can become justice-oriented citizens and utilize hip-hop to teach others outside the walls of their school.