Philosophy and Hip-Hop

Philosophy and Hip-Hop: Ruminations on Postmodern Cultural Form opens up the philosophical life force that informs the construction of Hip-hop by turning the gaze of the philosopher upon those blind spots that exist within existing scholarship. Traditional Departments of Philosophy will find this book a solid companion in Contemporary Philosophy or Aesthetic Theory. Inside these pages is a project that parallels the themes of existential angst, corporate elitism, social consciousness, male privilege and masculinity. This book illustrates the abundance of philosophical meaning in the textual and graphic elements of Hip-hop, and thus places Hip-hop within the philosophical canon.

Accessible: The added discussion questions makes the paperback version of this book more engaging and accessible. The author has added several thoughtful discussion questions per chapter, making the book more useful for classrooms but also for independent readers looking to structure their reading and get more out of the experience. Bailey also offers suggestions for further reading and exposure. Timely: Now more than ever, Hip hop is an incredibly integral part of US pop culture and worth serious consideration. Hip hop is arguably the most pervasive pop music form of the moment and that trend only promises to continue for the foreseeable future. There has been a relative dearth of serious investigation of hip hop and other forms of black artistic expression by philosophers, making this book even more timely and necessary in the field. The author received widespread attention for his Palgrave title The Cultural Impact of Kanye West (the paperback version of which is publishing this September), making this a good time to push more of his work. Interdisciplinary: This book focuses on philosophy, pop culture, and political resistance. The interdisciplinary approach reflects the complex nature of hip hop itself its lyrics, history, and position in the culture. The interdisciplinary nature of the book will widen the scope of interested readers beyond philosophers to those interested or specializing in hip hop studies, political science, cultural studies, media studies, American studies, and African American studies, among other areas/disciplines. The book provides various entrance points to those new to hip hop but is also comprehensive and novel enough that it will appeal to scholars who are more familiar with hip hop studies.

Autorentext

Julius Bailey is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Wittenberg University, USA. He is a philosopher, cultural critic, social theorist, and diversity lecturer. He is the editor of Jay-Z: Essays on Hip Hop's Philosopher King (2011), and the author of The Cultural Impact of Kanye West (2014), as well as numerous articles on hip-hop pedagogy and social justice issues. He can be found at www.juliusbailey.com.

Inhalt
Introduction

1. Of the Beauty and Wisdom of Hip-Hop
2. Firebrands and Battle Plans: Jean-Paul Sartre, Friedrich Nietzsche and G.W.F. Hegel
3. Conscious Hip-hop vs The Culture Industry
4. A Philosopher's glance at Hip-hop Pedagogy: Facing the Realities of the Socratic Classroom
5. Lost in the City and Lost in the Self: Sin and Solipsism in Hip Hop's Dystopia; St. Augustine, Toni Morrison, Paul Tillich
6. Hip Hop and International Voices of Revolution: Brazil, Cuba, Ghana and Egypt
7. The Artist and the Image: Ervin Goffman; Marshall McLuhan; Roland Barthes
8. The Catastrophe of Success: Marshall McLuhan, Gilles Delueze and Felix Guittari