There’s been a decent amount of media hype related to Professor Dyson’s course: “The Sociology of Hip Hop: Jay-Z,” from MTV interviews to Washington Post articles arguing the merits and pitfalls of such a course. Yet I’ve failed to see any by students themselves. So I figured I owed NextGen a “Public Service Announcement.”

So Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself,
As a student in the class. Though we’re only halfway through the term, I can undeniably state that this class lives up to the hype; it’s precisely and undeniably the type of class a college student wants to take.

The subject matter is by its very nature stimulating, attractive, and unique; I would be lying if I said that this class wasn’t damn entertaining. Where else could somebody take a course studying sociology through the lens of the living hip-hop legend Jay-Z? More importantly, in what other class would Jay-Z’s autobiography Decoded be a required reading? Or perhaps even more importantly, in what other class would Jay-Z be a potential guest speaker? (We’re all still keeping our fingers crossed on this one).

Like Che Guevara with Bling on, It’s Complex:
There’s a lot of general misunderstanding on the nature of the course, especially to those in our parent’s generation. What rock and roll is to them and their parents, hip-hop is to us and our parents. I expressly remember telling my dad I was taking the class and hearing him laughingly respond, “Okay, but what real classes are you in?” It took me a while to explain that this wasn’t some sort of joke; this is a legitimate academic course, and that’s perhaps one of its most rewarding characteristics.

I recalled the first day in which we discussed Professor Walter A. McDougall’s hypothesis of “hustlin’” as an essential part of American character and identity, from Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr’s duel to the death, to Jay-Z dealing drugs. Or perhaps when the class linked Martin Luther King Jr.’s oratorical and improvisational prowess in his “I’ve Seen the Kingdom” speech with that of Jay-Z’s freestyle rap experiences on the streets of Brooklyn. Or perhaps when we critiqued the extravagant celebrations of wealth in Jay-Z’s most recent studio album Watch the Throne (produced in collaboration with Jay’s protégé Kanye West). These rich discussions prove the class is anything but the joke my dad originally thought it was. It isn’t a class where we simply sit, kick it, and listen to Jay’s songs (though we often begin or end class with them)- there is an authentic scholarly discourse on the societal implications of Jay-Z’s art and life.

Learning while having fun? It seems like an improbable occurrence in the collegiate landscape of today, yet the Sociology of Hip Hop makes it a reality, at least every Monday and Wednesday.

Shout Out Michael Eric Dyson:
The glue that tenuously holds together this delicate balance between scholarly discussion and entertainment is none other than the Professor himself. The Dr. Rev. Michael Eric Dyson is articulate, knowledgeable, passionate, and one of the primary reasons the class is (as I said before) damn entertaining. Like the beat that keeps a rapper on track yet allows for improvisation, Professor Dyson keeps the class structured yet flowing. He lectures precisely and powerfully and isn’t afraid to be challenged by his students. In fact, he encourages it. I recall a discussion we had based on the “Nipplegate” scandal of Super Bowl XXXVIII in which many students disagreed with the Professor’s view that the public backlash was primarily due to Janet Jackson’s race. One student pointed out that it was because people reacted out of shock (they didn’t expect it to happen), another that women and children were present. Professor Dyson accepted the merits of each statement, sometimes countering with a statement of his own, but always acknowledging the value of the student’s comment.

Professor Dyson’s numerous and expansive contacts are also pretty striking. One day in class he received a call, proceeded to answer it and whispered into his phone, “I told you to not call when I’m in class… you’re going to have to tell the President that I can’t meet with him on Friday…” Now I, along with the rest of the class, laughed thinking that it was a joke; I mean really, who bails on the President? Professor Dyson does; he met with President Obama on his schedule the following week. Aside from meeting with the political elite, Dyson colors his lectures with anecdotes of times spent with Jay-Z (at a few of his parties), Trey Songz (backstage at his concert with Usher), Nas (Dyson wrote a book about him), Iced-T (“Chillin’ with my main man Ice-T…”), Stevie Wonder (“I was talking with Stevie about this…”), and countless other musicians and cultural figures. He has a profound, first-hand understanding of the inner workings of their art and its cultural significance, unparalleled by any other figure in the field. There is no doubt that when this professor opens his mouth, he knows what he’s talking about.

Mike Mezzino with Michael Eric Dyson and the Rev. Jesse Jackson

These connections helped him to bring Zach O’Malley Greenburg, the author of Empire State of Mind (a biography on Jay-Z and a required course reading), to the class as a guest lecturer. After this class, just as he does after all classes, Professor Dyson stayed behind to answer questions and discuss topics covered in the lecture. I stood in the classroom after most of the other students cleared out and he professed that while our class’s surprise was Mr. Greenburg, he was bringing in Rev. Jesse Jackson as a guest speaker for his seminar on none other than Jesse Jackson himself. Dyson invited those of us left in the class to attend and I jumped at the opportunity. Actions like this are what most clearly demonstrate Professor Dyson’s care for his students. He could have told us there wasn’t enough room in the small classroom, that the 18 students in his Jackson seminar should get priority, but instead he openly encouraged us to attend. His passion and knowledge for the content of his classes and willingness to assist his students define him as a professor.

Encore / On to the Next One:
All of these elements add up to create, at least for me, an ideal college class. I guess Jay-Z describes it best: “Now can I get an encore, do you want more?” The answer is a definitive yes.

The post You Are Now Watching The Throne appeared first on NextGen Journal.