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Hip hop homework >>
An ambitious group of Concordia students
Mirror: First
of all, who make up the Students for the Advancement of Hip Hop Culture? Diegal Leger:
As far as the people involved in this entire undertaking, there are
a lot of my friends and fellow students, but it’s really myself,
Dana Schnitzer and Katherine Blenkinsop who came up with the idea to
hold a symposium and campaign for hip hop study. We were always debating
and discussing issues that had to do directly with the culture. M: Why do
you believe that hip hop deserves academic study? DL: It’s
like this generation of hip hop culture is almost detached, and hip
hop approached from an academic perspective might provide an alternative
point of view. If hip hop culture is to be everywhere and utilized like
it is already, then we have to have it in the schools as well. It’s
already being studied at various universities in the States and Canada. M: What
universities already offer this? DL: For
instance, Berkeley, Harvard and Boston University. M: So it’s
the present state of hip hop culture that this is in direct response
to? DL: Not
really. It’s not associated with that, and it shouldn’t be.
This is not a cry for help. M: Well,
it’s no secret that a lot of people like to complain about hip
hop now and how different things are, how commercial things are compared
to its grassroots beginnings. DL: I’m
probably one of those people, unconsciously, but things have changed
from when I first became aware of hip hop. I got into the music first,
and then that led to a whole other world, and now that we have access
to so much information, you want to be able to share that information.
The academic study of hip hop isn’t about what’s wrong with
hip hop now— M: Although
I’m sure that could be an issue for study. DL: Definitely! But hopefully this would be an all-encompassing examination of where it’sbeen, where it is, and where it’s going. We have to be able to contribute to the web of knowledge. : Free discussions
daily, Feb. 13–16, 5–9pm, at 1455 de Maisonneuve, room H-760.
Live show Higher Learning at Reggie’s Pub in the Hall Building,
Friday, Feb. 15, 9pm, $7.
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This
week, a group of students take their love of hip hop culture to new
heights with the introduction of Concordia’s first Hip Hop Symposium.
Aimed at drumming up interest for hip hop study at the university, the
four-day event consists of a series of open talks and discussions about
various topics, like women’s roles in hip hop and hip hop as a
tool for education, as well as a stacked live show to finish off the
festivities. The Mirror spoke to organizer Diegal Leger about the reasons
for an event like this, and what it hopes to achieve.