Standing in a mirrored rehearsal room, senior Clayvon Grimes explained to fellow students how he plans dance moves for Block Crew, a campus-based, urban dance team.

“Improvisation plays a big role when hip-hop choreographers are creating pieces,” said Grimes, a philosophy, politics, economics, and law program and sociology double major. “Making original choreography involves personal expression, trying out different moves, and exploring different musicalities in order to tell a story.”

Grimes’ visit to professor Alicia Díaz’s Movement Improvisation class was an integral part of October’s Hip-Hop Week, a first for the Richmond campus.

“This dance has a lot of moves where my knees are going out, but with this move, my upper body is also leaning downward,” Grimes said, demonstrating the step. Students dressed in warmups and dance clothing watched attentively, then followed along.

First-year Lucy Lew had seen Block Crew perform earlier in the week. “When I saw them, I was blown away,” she said. “So, when I put it together that Clayvon was teaching our class, I was so excited.”

Hip-hop culture, known for its high-energy dance moves, poetic social commentary, and bass-pounding lyrical anthems, began as rap music in the early 1970s in Black and Latino communities in New York City. Rapping is an art form inspired by African griots, who preserve the genealogies, historical narratives, and oral traditions of their people.

During the international celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary last year, dance instructor and the event’s organizer Deandra Clarke said she heard a great deal of discussion about the genre’s history but not enough about how far it had come since its inception.

“Hip-hop started as something created by a marginalized community where society influenced the culture. At this point, hip-hop has grown so much that it influences our entire country and the world,” Clarke said.

By bringing hip-hop to UR, Clarke wanted to highlight the genre’s impact on areas, such as marketing, sports, real estate, other musical genres, theatre, and politics.

The music popularized by artists like DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, LL Cool J, and Run DMC has transcended the originators to become a global phenomenon — as evidenced by alum Dave Burd’s (otherwise known as Lil Dicky) “Save Dat Money” in an Old Navy commercial to K-Pop group BTS’ debut on Billboard's Top Rap Albums chart.

“I think the popularity of hip-hop with students at UR is evident by their attendance in the classes. My hip-hop dance class, Voices of Hip-Hop in America, and the Sociology of Hip-Hop are always full and hold a waitlist each semester during registration,” Clarke said.

Hip-Hop Week included lunchtime karaoke and trivia, dance classes, discussion panels, and a performance by Block Crew.

Local hip-hop heads including, grammy-nominated artist and School of Professional and Continuing Studies instructor Donnie “Mad Skillz” Lewis, dancer Neo Lynch, singer and songwriter Radio B, DJ Rayvon, and muralist Chris Visions joined in a discussion about deejaying, break dancing, graffiti, and rapping in the “4 Elements of Hip-Hop” panel.

Music producers Bink and NameBrand, and record-label owner and Georgia State University professor Booker Edwards led a panel that discussed the evolution of hip-hop production and how it has widely crossed over into other industries.

Sociology professor Matthew Oware and Aaryn Green, author of The Sociology of Cardi B, explored gender identities in the “Sociology of Hip-Hop” panel discussion. Green identified Cardi B as a case-study for discussing feminism, race and ethnicity, motherhood, and politics.

“We talked about representations of masculinity and femininity in current rap music. We also discussed Dr. Green's book,” Oware said. “She delved into how the book came about and why Cardi B is an important figure to study.”

“The response to Hip-Hop Week was wonderful,” Clarke said. “Everyone was very excited to hear more, learn more, and experience more.”