Assignment:

Identify one African American hip hop song from the 1980s or 1990s and provide a link for it so that your group members can listen to it. Pick out specific lyrics from the song and explain how it fits into one or more of the three step process as part of the blues OR into the three step process Craig Werner associates with the gospel (not both). These are identified in Chapter 1, in your book Understanding African American Aspects in Hip-Hop Cinema. Share with your group additional interpretations of how the lyrics relate to issues in the course. Note: The rap song you pick is NOT necessarily or specifically part of the gospel or blues genre. Be very clear, you are instead looking for elements of similarity with the theoretical experience of other black music genres. Stay focused, detailed and use short quotes. After you have posted your essay, then respond to at least one classmate. Make sure that your response is meaningful and continues a conversation.

Do not use The Police in the assignment.

You should be in ONE group only. If you fall into more than one group, contact [email protected] asap. Users must start a new thread in the topic before viewing or replying to other threads in the topic.

Guidelines:

Remember the essays should contain citations and are practice for the final course paper. However they are also an opportunity to start less formal conversations and responses among group members. You must complete both aspects, so be sure to respond to at least one of your group members about what they found and/or to the comments of others who respond to your post. This assignment counts toward class participation. Copy and paste or type your discussion/essay in the discussion area and submit your file to the assignment dropbox for a plagiarism check. Your essay must be in MS word or pdf form.

What should be included in your essay(for more detail look at the rubric attached to this discussion:

600 Words for initial post for Discussion/Essay

150 or more words for your response to one classmate

Contains a thesis

At least 3 proofs to support the thesis
two from course materials
one from your own academic or primary research
Use of in text citations with page numbers
Works cited with webpage links or full printing press information
Good Grammar
Discretionary points for Excellence

Essay Format:

This is generally the format of what your essay should look like, but refer to the course rubric for even more specific details.

Paragraph 1 -- introduction to tell me where you are going. This paragraph includes or starts with a specific distinct thesis that states exactly what you plan to argue. It does not say "I will discuss..." Instead, state your argument and move on to prove it. If I have to wait until the end of the paper to figure out what your point is, you have already failed. Some students put the thesis sentence in italics or bold it. If you want to do this that's fine. It helps me zero in immediately on what you will argue and may help you keep track of your focus.

Paragraphs 2-5 -- justifications. Each subsequent paragraph proves some part of your thesis. They start with and include sub assertions. These sub assertions introduce related bits of evidence and are in effect a mini thesis that makes a refined point about SOME aspect of the thesis. In other words, it pinpoints a specific part of the thesis and explains why the information you present is relevant. After the sub assertion, include your evidence -- an example, quote, and citation, for example. You must include examples from the narrative. You can combine justifications in paragraphs as long as they relate to the sub assertion, which on a larger scale connects to the thesis. Start each new paragraph with new sub assertions and justification that highlights a another different part of the thesis. Continue until all parts of your thesis are illustrated and justified. Adjust your thesis if need be.

Final Paragraph -- add some deeper insight. You started with a thesis -- what additional intellectual points can you add that both reflects the original thesis but seems to carry your initial concept further?