The University of Missouri have announced that they will offer a class on the relationship between rappers, Jay-Z and Kanye West, it has been revealed.
According to Consequence Of Sound, the course aims to compare and contrast the careers of the rappers as follows '(1) Where do they fit within, and how do they change, the history of hip-hop music?; (2) How is what they do similar to and different from what poets do?, and (3) How does their rise to both celebrity and corporate power alter what we understand as the American dream?'
If only they'd asked me that in the Leaving Cert, says ye rap fans out there.
In an interview with Consequence Of Sound, Andrew Hoberek, the course instructor, shed more light on the thinking behind offering such a class:
'I really do think that these guys are warming up to the level of major poets, and not many people think of it in those terms. Because it’s not just on a page, but it’s video art, too. So, we looked at how those complicated the questions, and how do books about poetry help us to understand rap with Jay and Kanye at the forefront. We looked at the larger history of rap as an art form. Specifically, how, especially with Blueprint 3 and Yeezus, there’s an identifiable push to get beyond what’s happening in the art form. They’re very much like painters and novelists in the 20th century, moving beyond the confines of the art form’s boundaries.'
I wonder if the 2 lads, Kanye and Jay-Z, have seen this. It's a pretty high compliment to be paid, when a university starts a class dissecting the ins and out of your career. One usually has to die before shit like this happens. No doubt that Kanye didn't even bat an eyelid when he found out. He is the Messiah after all. That said, if he keeps putting out stuff like this, they might have to retract the class entirely.
Imagine, the price you have to pay for University in the US, and you end up coming out with a degree in 'Kanye West Studies'. A very niche industry, I'd say. Good luck finding a job in that.
