Write an essay reflecting on (and diving in depth into) a
hip hop artist who has been primarily active since
the year 2000. This reflection should incorporate
at least one of the pillars of hip hop; if knowledge
is your pillar, you’ll need to relate directly back to
the work of at least one artist in the genre. It
should also include analysis of why your artist’s
creative output is significant.
What I’m looking for:
Pick an artist who interests you (or one you
love dearly).
Give your reader a framework within
which to work: why is this artist
important or interesting to you, and why
should they care about them?
Explain your artist and the significance of
their work like you’re talking to someone
who hasn’t run into any of their work
before. I recommend using scholarly
sources to explain large concepts; use our
online library access to find these through
JSTOR or other databases we have
available.
Relate your artist to others who might have
influenced them (and those who they might
have influenced!). Are you telling us about
the first known instance of a technique/lyric
style/flow/public impact, or does it have its
roots/precedent in the work of an earlier
artist? Has it influenced other artists in
ways we can articulate? These are
important questions to ask as you’re
contextualizing your essay.
Consider not only individual songs but
entire albums. Were other songs on an
album related to the particular track you
want to focus on, or was it a standout
ideologically/technically/etc?
You will need at least five sources. Hip Hop
Evolution can be one, if it’s relevant to your
writing.
