Florida A&M welcomes the Institute for Hip Hop and Music Industry Studies. The institute was created to not only enlighten students on hip-hop, but to have a research center where hip-hop can be critically analyzed.
Students will have access to digital archives to explore the historical significance of hip-hop. The Institute will provide a space for students looking to learn more about hip-hop and the music industry
“Hip-hop is an extension of the African- American cultural experience,” said Kawachi Clemons, Ph.D., director if the institute.
Clemons, along with the help of Christopher Martin, who is known a music artist “Play,” created the institute. The institute’s goals include teaching students to learn about not only the historical aspect of hip-hop, but the music industry side as well.
They first started the Institute at North Carolina Central University in 2005, where they created not only a hip-hop program, but also a research center for it.
Working in collaboration with the School of Business and Industry and the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication, these classes and seminars will promote the preservation of hip-hop culture and the music industry.
“This whole concept of but hip-hop in higher education isn’t something that’s new; it’s something that’s developed over time,” said Clemons.
The institute will give students the opportunity to work hands-on by letting them produce their own music and use the student media on campus. The class and seminars take place in the Foster -Tanner music building.