- Saturday, March 28, 2015
- 2:00 PM–3:15 PM
- CFAC 255
Our Academic Track features the presentation of two or three academic papers during each session.
Paper 1: Till I Die of Exhaustion; The Symbols of Eminem, Lecrae, and Hip-Hop
Charles Carman
This paper develops what Lecrae said in a recent interview: “hip-hop has always been about the disenfranchised.” Considering the lyrics of hip-hop, it seems that the theme of “disenfranchised” turns on the artist’s answer to the question: What’s the first thing a man should do when he’s enfranchised, freed, forgiven, released? Since Tupac (Makaveli) and through Jay-Z and Eminem, the answer has been to become king, emperor, god. Lecrae offers a different and arguably the richer symbolic answer.
Paper 2: Kanye West: Hip Hop for the Dones
Cray Allred
Since penning “Jesus Walks” early in his career, Kanye West has made references to the Christian faith a regular part of his creative output. While many view his religious content—along with his ranting public persona—as erratic, disingenuous, or blasphemous, his concept of belief and spirituality are more coherent when heard as a soundtrack for “The Dones,” believers no longer affiliated with the institutional church.
Paper 3: Lauryn Hill’s MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 and the Liberating Reality of the Gospel
Matthew Linder
In a 2001 performance at MTV’s Times Square studio, Lauryn Hill presented her audience a set of brand new, partially formed songs in a solo acoustic set, on what would become her second album, MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. Through songs and sermon-esque interludes, Hill prophetically deconstructs materialism, celebrity worship, self-centeredness, and systematic racism. This paper uncovers the ways in which Hill frames these themes within a Christian framework of justice and points her audience toward Jesus as the vehicle of physical and spiritual liberation.
