Spiders celebrate rhyme and reason during Hip Hop Week
Campus Life
The University of Richmond’s 2nd Annual Hip Hop Week, which coincided with National Hip Hop Month, explored the lifestyle and its powerful influence on American culture, the music industry, and the arts.
“Hip hop is pretty much the vein of our country right now,” said Deandra Clarke, the event’s organizer and adjunct instructor of theatre & dance. “It is really embedded in everything.”
The Department of Theatre & Dance hosted the November program, which brought in renowned artists and educators from across the U.S. More than a dozen events were scheduled, including panels, a creative writing and musical production workshop with local artist Radio B, a performance by student urban dance group Block Crew, dance classes, and hip hop trivia.
DJ C Goss mixed music at the Art Walk & Graffiti Workshop on the Forum as passersby took in the work of local artists, including Silly Genius and Chr!s Visions who sprayed graffiti creations onto a plywood wall with a shake of a can.
“I got to see a bit of the graffiti live, which was incredible,” said Rafael Cruz, a senior who is double majoring in business administration and health studies. “Watching the process come together layer by layer really gave me a new appreciation for the art form.”
Cruz purchased prints by local artist Ron Stokes at the art walk and enjoyed the energy of the event. “I’m a big fan of hip hop. I grew up in Newark, New Jersey, which has a very vibrant urban scene,” Cruz said. “Hip hop is everywhere, and it's more than music. It's culture, storytelling, and identity.”
In the classroom
“Because of hip hop’s popularity with students, it can be a great educational tool,” said Clarke, one of eight faculty members who incorporated the topic into their classes during Hip Hop Week.
Political science professor Ernest McGowen brought in Richmond-based community activist and Executive Director of Initiatives of Change USA Allan-Charles Chipman to speak to his Introduction to American Government class. Chipman addressed how hip hop has influenced the political climate in America.
“I believe it is important for the campus to understand hip hop. Its relevance today is firmly steeped in the role it played in society, particularly Black communities, in the recent past,” McGowen said. “Much of the pain, anger, confusion, and joy articulated in the most famous hip hop songs are still felt today, but in different communities. Those people can relate and process their emotions through the songs, art, and poetry.”
Adjunct Lecturer of Rhetoric & Communication Studies Faith Wilkerson moderated “Culture Sells: Hip Hop’s power in branding, marketing, & advertising.” Panel members included representatives from the Martin Agency, Adobe, and the Brooklyn Nets.
“The program underscored that hip hop artists are often some of the most effective cultural teachers using rhythm, language, and narrative to make complex social issues accessible,” Wilkerson said. “The discussion helped me better appreciate how culture becomes a conduit for learning, especially for younger audiences who connect deeply with the authenticity of hip hop.”
Other conversations on campus explored the influence of hip hop within the justice system, the shifting of gender roles in music, and the cultural impact of Kendrick Lamar, who won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music — the first non-classical or jazz artist to do so.
Hip hop is the vein of our country right now. It is embedded in everything.”
