Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. is offering a new course to students about the life and legacy of hip-hop artist Jay-Z.
The course, called “Sociology of Hip-Hop: Jay-Z,” is taught by professor Michael Eric Dyson.
He has taught a class of similar scope about Tupac at the University of Pennsylvania.
“I wanted to probe all of these dimensions of Jay-Z as one of the most gifted and talented musicians of our time," Dyson told The Vancouver Sun.
Some students said they’d like to see a similar course offered at Carleton.
“I think these kinds of interdisciplinary, focused courses are a great way to learn,” said Haley Young Ritchie, a first-year journalism student.
One hundred and forty students are registered in Dyson’s class, which is four times their average class size, the Sun reported.
First-year student Aldo Perri said it’s not just about student interest, but about learning something valuable through an entertaining course.
“It'd be great if Carleton offered courses of a similar nature,” he said. “Not only because there'd be demand for them . . . but because it might allow people to develop their understanding of a culture that they're not familiar with.”
The class takes place twice a week for 75 minutes, according to the Sun. Students are required to read Jay-Z’s book Decoded.
“When you're dealing with an artist like Jay-Z you're dealing with a genius — a crafter of words, an all-time literary great. [Jay-Z] gives us such powerful poetic passion,” Dyson told the Sun. “I wanted my students to understand that.”
