I’m always intrigued when finding out about how educational institutions in the US integrate the likes of Hip Hop, pop culture (and even Beyonce) into their programs, so was really excited to come across 9th Wonder’s latest project which I know won’t dissapoint.
Directed by filmmaker Kenneth Price whose responsible for a number of the visually stunning music videos from The Foreign Exchange and Rapsody – ‘The Hip Hop Fellow’ is both he and 9th Wonder’s second film (the first being The Wonder Year).
The Hip-Hop Fellow is a 78-minute documentary following Grammy Award winning producer 9th Wonder’s tenure at Harvard University as he teaches ‘The Standards of Hip-Hop’ course, conducts research for his thesis and explores hip-hop’s history, culture and role in academia.
The film centers on the emerging significance of incorporating hip-hop studies into academic curriculum and spotlights the scholars and musicians at the forefront of preserving 40 years of hip-hop culture.
Interviewees include Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Kendrick Lamar, Young Guru, Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, Phonte, Dr. Marcyliena Morgan, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Ab-Soul, Rapper Big Pooh and DJ Premier.
I’m not aware of programs like this taking place in the UK but would love to see a program dedicated to the influence that genres such as Grime and Lovers Rock have had on British culture. If you know of any music or pop culture related programs I’d love to know more!
Check out the trailer below: