Ky. university teaching class on the history of hip-hop

RICHMOND, Ky. (WKYT) - This year, hip-hop turns 50 years old. The music once thought to be a fad has become the most consumed genre in the U.S.

Now, an EKU instructor is teaching a class called the Rhetoric of Hip Hop. Where students create playlists of hip-hop artists, break down the lyrics and have a heavy discussion on the artist’s message.

Maggie Frozena is the instructor of the class.

“It’s a way to sort of talk about rhetoric and argument in a way that students understand because we can point to something that we are intimately familiar with and talk about, ‘so what is this artist doing,’” said Frozena.

Frozena, who has a taste for 90′s hip-hop, has put together a student-led class where they have the freedom to create their own youtube playlist for discussion.

And the teacher has room to learn as well.

“I’m really nervous about teaching this class as a middle-aged white lady from Wisconsin, and one of the reasons I set this class up the way that I did, is, like, I am no expert; I know a little bit,” said Frozena.

Frozena says the music and the culture that came out of New York City five decades ago has made a big impact on the world.

“Just a really wonderful contribution that the united states has made to the world of art,” said Frozena.

Frozena says she hopes one day, some of those famous hip-hop artists will drop in and be a guest speaker.

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