Many educators already know that hip-hop can be a powerful tool for engaging students. But can hip-hop save our schools? In Hip Hop Genius, Sam Seidel introduces an iteration of hip-hop education that goes far beyond the usual approach of studying rap music as classroom content and looks instead at deeply honoring the knowledge of urban students. Seidel lays out a vision for how hip-hop's genius—the resourceful creativity and swagger that took it from a local phenomenon to a global force—can lead to a fundamental remix of the way we think of teaching, school design, and leadership. Through stories about the professional rapper who founded the first hip-hop high school and the aspiring artists currently enrolled there, Hip Hop Genius invites readers to think outside the (boom)box about what hip-hop education can mean and to consider the implications that a broader definition of hip-hop education could have on their teaching and learning experiences. This book is for all of the educators in need of new solutions and all the hip-hop heads who know hip-hop is far more than music. It is for everyone who refuses to watch brilliant young people slip through the cracks and is down to take action. View Sam's YouTube trailer for the book here
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Hip Hop Genius: Remixing High School Education
Many educators already know that hip-hop can be a powerful tool for engaging students. But can hip-hop save our schools? In Hip Hop Genius, Sam Seidel introduces an iteration of hip-hop education that goes far beyond the usual approach of studying rap music as classroom content and looks instead at deeply honoring the knowledge of urban students. Seidel lays out a vision for how hip-hop's genius—the resourceful creativity and swagger that took it from a local phenomenon to a global force—can lead to a fundamental remix of the way we think of teaching, school design, and leadership. Through stories about the professional rapper who founded the first hip-hop high school and the aspiring artists currently enrolled there, Hip Hop Genius invites readers to think outside the (boom)box about what hip-hop education can mean and to consider the implications that a broader definition of hip-hop education could have on their teaching and learning experiences. This book is for all of the educators in need of new solutions and all the hip-hop heads who know hip-hop is far more than music. It is for everyone who refuses to watch brilliant young people slip through the cracks and is down to take action. View Sam's YouTube trailer for the book here
Many educators already know that hip-hop can be a powerful tool for engaging students. But can hip-hop save our schools? In Hip Hop Genius, Sam Seidel introduces an iteration of hip-hop education that goes far beyond the usual approach of studying rap music as classroom content and looks instead at deeply honoring the knowledge of urban students. Seidel lays out a vision for how hip-hop's genius—the resourceful creativity and swagger that took it from a local phenomenon to a global force—can lead to a fundamental remix of the way we think of teaching, school design, and leadership. Through stories about the professional rapper who founded the first hip-hop high school and the aspiring artists currently enrolled there, Hip Hop Genius invites readers to think outside the (boom)box about what hip-hop education can mean and to consider the implications that a broader definition of hip-hop education could have on their teaching and learning experiences. This book is for all of the educators in need of new solutions and all the hip-hop heads who know hip-hop is far more than music. It is for everyone who refuses to watch brilliant young people slip through the cracks and is down to take action. View Sam's YouTube trailer for the book here
Sam Seidel has taught in a variety of settings from first grade to community college and directed an award-winning arts program for young people in, and transitioning out of, prison. He now works with several national networks of innovative schools; speaks at education events; and writes for The Husslington Post, GOOD, and a variety of other publications. To learn more about his work, the book, and how you can book Sam to speak in your school or community, please check out www.HipHopGenius.org.
Table of Contents
Foreword George Clinton vii
Preface Herbert Kohi xi
Introduction 1
1 Hip-Hop High 17
2 A Day's Work 49
3 Hip-Hop Leadership 77
4 Society's Sucker Punch 97
5 Trends in Hip-Hop Education 115
6 Flip-Hop Education 133
A Note from/about the Author 150
Index 157
Acknowledgments 169
What People are Saying About This
Marc Lamont Hill
Hip Hop Genius is a powerful and necessary work. Through his beautifully written account of the High School for Recording Arts, Samuel Seidel offers real-world texture and nuance to the field of hip-hop-based education. Unlike many books in the field, Hip Hop Genius doesn't force us to choose between theory and practice, or pragmatism and hope. This book is a sorely needed reminder of what is possible when we release our imaginations and mine the genius that inside of all of our children.
