Before entering this class I expected to expand my view of hip hop to one of a different perspective. Taking this class is an opportunity for me to dive a layer deeper into my favorite genre. One thing I did not expect to learn about is the importance of graffiti to hip hop. I’ve always thought of graffiti solely as an art expression, it never occurred to me how heavily it ties into hip hop culture. But thinking about in retrospect after reading the Forman chapter which establishes how important one’s environment is to their growth and personal identity. Graffiti became a form of expression that allowed young black and brown artists speak their truth while also impacting their environment.

  Looking forward, I hope we get to explore the topic of lyric analysis. One of my favorite aspects of hip hop/ rap music is the creativity that comes along with the lyrics and poems filled with wordplay. By listening and analyzing music from earlier stages of hip hop we get to grasp the assortment of different styles of music, cadence, and subject matter that has developed into the hip hop we know today.

I would also like to learn how hip hop can be interpreted from a feminist perspective. Taking this class sheds light on previous aspects of hip hop that I have been oblivious too. Looking at hip hop solely through a male perspective is limiting. For example, before taking this class I never thought about how often women are the subject in rap lyrics. After it was mentioned in class it clicked for me as another way women are underappreciated in regards to being essential to hip hop. I imagine that is just the tip of the iceberg. I look forward to tapping into the untold secrets of hip hop.