>> NATE CAME UP WITH THIS ONE.

IT WAS SANTA'S HELPERS ARE KNOWN

AS SUBORDINATE CLAUSES.

>> OUR GUEST TODAY IS A

PERFORMANCE ARTIST AND AN

EDUCATOR WHOSE CLASSES ARE A

COMBINATION OF PHILOSIPHY

SOCIOLOGY, HISTORY, CULTURE

AND MUSIC.

JOIN US AS WE CAP UP WITH DR.

A.D. CARSON, AN ASSISTANT

PROFESSOR OF HIP HOP IN THE

GLOBAL SOUTH AT THE UNIVERSITY

OF VIRGINIA.

COME ON.

>> YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE OF THE

FACT THAT WE ARE TELLING STORIES

OR WE ARE TELLING A STORY.

EVERY RAP IS AN ARGUMENT.

EVERY RAP SONG IS ARGUING

SOMETHING.

♪♪♪

>> WHEN I'M ON STAGE, I IMAGINE

MYSELF AS A TEACHER.

AND WHEN I'M IN CLASS, I IMAGINE

MYSELF AS A PERFORMER.

AND I THINK THAT BOTH SPACES

WHERE I'M ENGAGING BENEFIT FROM

MY CONCEPTUALIZING IT AS THE

OTHER.

>> SO, TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT

CLASSES THAT YOU'RE TEACHING.

>> WELL, I TEACH A CLASS FOR

UNDERGRADUATES CALLED "WRITING

RAP."

ESSENTIALLY, THE STUDENTS ARE

LEARNING LIKE THE BASICS OF RAP

WRITING AS WELL AS SOME VERY

GENERAL HISTORIES OF HIP HOP AND

DIFFERENT ERAS, THE WAY THE

PEOPLE BREAK UP THE ERAS OF

THAT, WHICH MEANS WE ALSO HAVE

TO STUDY A LOT OF RAPS,

LISTENING TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT

PEOPLE, AND TRYING TO ANALYZE

THE WAYS THAT THEY APPROACH THE

WRITING OF RAPS.

I ALSO TEACH A CLASS CALLED THE

"BLACK VOICE."

IT'S A SEMINAR FOR GRADUATE

STUDENTS.

IT'S NOT SAYING WE'RE GOING TO

DEFINE WHAT A BLACK VOICE IS.

IT'S NOT IN THE WAY FOLKS MIGHT

PRESUME THAT WE MEAN WHENEVER

THEY SEE THAT TITLE.

I TEACH A COURSE CALLED

COMPOSING MIXTAPES.

THAT CLASS IS HIGHLY

COLLABORATIVE.

IT'S LIKE MAKING STUFF EVERY DAY

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, AND AT

THE END, THE STUDENTS ARE

EXPECTED TO NOT ONLY HAVE THE

FINISHED ALBUM BUT TO PUT

TOGETHER A SHOWCASE SO THAT THEY

CAN SHARE THAT ALBUM WITH THE

BROADER COMMUNITY.

♪♪♪

>> I THINK YOUR CLASSES ARE A

MIX OF SO MANY OTHER CLASSES AS

WELL.

I THINK OF PHILOSOPHY.

YOU'RE COVERING HISTORY.

YOU'RE COVERING SOCIOLOGY,

CULTURE.

YOU'RE COVERING MUSIC, MUSIC

THEORY, AND LANGUAGE.

LANGUAGE AND HOW YOUR STUDENTS

INTERPRET LANGUAGES FOR

THEMSELVES.

THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT YOU

WANT THEM TO DISCOVER, SORT OF

WHO THEY ARE IN THE WORLD AND

HOW THEY WANT TO USE LANGUAGE.

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT

IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE

ALL REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR

RELATIONSHIP TO LANGUAGE IN THE

WAY THAT HAS AN EFFECT ON THE

WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN, THE WORLD

THAT WE CREATE, WHICH ARE

STRUCTURED BY THE LANGUAGE THAT

WE ENGAGE IN OR HOW WE ENGAGE IN

LANGUAGE.

SO, IT'S MUCH MORE PRESENT IN

THIS CLASS BECAUSE I'M ASKING

THEM TO WRITE RAPS AND BECAUSE

THERE ARE CONSTRAINTS TO EACH OF

THE PROJECTS THAT I'M GIVING

THEM THAT MAKE THEM HAVE TO

THINK.

I HAVE 16 BARS TO GET ACROSS A

POINT THAT IS PREDETERMINED,

WHICH MEANS THAT I ONLY HAVE A

CERTAIN NUMBER OF WORDS THAT I

CAN SAY.

>> RIGHT.

>> SO, I HAVE TO EVALUATE MY

RELATIONSHIP TO LANGUAGE TO BE

ABLE TO NAVIGATE THAT IN SUCH A

WAY THAT IT'S GOING TO CREATE

SOMETHING THAT I AM PROUD OF.

♪♪♪

>> PEOPLE HAVE VERY DIFFERENT

VERY DIFFERENCES, AND THIS IS

THE KIND OF THE TIME WHERE I'VE

REALIZED THAT MY EXPERIENCE IS

JUST ONE EXPERIENCE.

THIS CLASS HAS DEFINITELY MADE

ME AWARE A LOT MORE ABOUT WHAT

HIP HOP MEANS AND WHY IT IS

IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE

WORK THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE.

>> IT REALLY ISN'T JUST A MUSIC

FORM.

IT'S AN ENTIRE CULTURE, AND I

REALLY LIKE THAT WE ARE NOT

RESTRAINED IN ARE WHAT WE CAN

SAY.

WE KNOW THAT EVEN IF WE HAVE A

CONTROVERSIAL OPINION OR

INTERPRETED SOMETHING

DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHERS, THAT

IT'S A PLACE WHERE WE CAN TALK

ABOUT THAT AND WE'RE NOT GOING

TO GET CRITICISM FROM HIM OR GET

TOLD THAT WE SHOULDN'T GO IN

THAT DIRECTION WITH OUR

DISCUSSION.

>> IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE

LYRICS THAT THEY USED TO SAY IN

THE 90s AND 80s, YOU WOULD SAY,

WHOA, THIS IS REALLY VIOLENT.

I FEEL LIKE SOME OF THE LYRICS

THEY USED BACK THEN WOULD NOT BE

ACCEPTABLE TODAY BECAUSE PEOPLE

WOULD BE MORE OUTRAGED AND SAY

THIS IS WRONG.

>> I THINK ABOUT JOYNER LUCAS'

"I'M NOT A RACIST," THE SONG

WHERE I THINK LOTS OF FOLKS FELT

THAT THIS WAS A BINARY THAT

WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO CREATE,

LIKE BOTH SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT.

IT'S A SONG LIKE THAT THAT'S

REALLY, REALLY POPULAR.

AND IT IS STRIKING A CHORD WITH

SO MANY PEOPLE.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IF WE'RE

IN A CLASS ABOUT WRITING RAPS TO

HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE

ARE HAVING AMONGST PEOPLE WHO

ARE FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS

OF THE UNIVERSITY AND FROM SO

MANY DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE.

>> AND WHAT ARE THEY -- WHAT DO

THEY THINK OF THE CLASS?

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS.

>> LOTS OF THEM ARE REALLY BIG

FANS OF THE MUSIC, AND THEY

BRING A LOT OF THAT TO THE

CONVERSATION.

AND THEN THERE ARE OTHERS WHO

DON'T KNOW VERY MUCH AND WANT TO

LEARN.

AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF A

DOPE THING.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT JUST LOOKING AT

PEOPLE WHO ARE IN MUSIC OR

PEOPLE WHO ARE INTO HIP HOP

CULTURE.

IT IS REALLY POPULAR MUSIC.

>> ISN'T IT THE NUMBER ONE MUSIC

FORM?

>> YEAH, IT'S THE MOST CONSUMED.

THAT MAKES IT EASIER FOR ME TO

MAKE AN ASSERTION THAT LIKELY

MOST STUDENTS HAVE HAD AN

EXPERIENCE WITH RAP MUSIC.

>> I'M REALLY CURIOUS TOO NOW

ABOUT IF CHANCE LIFTED THAT.

>> IT'S A GOOD QUESTION, RIGHT?

>> YEAH.

>> SO GIVE ME SOME EXAMPLES OF

WHAT ELSE YOU'LL BE DOING

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

>> YOU KNOW, WE START OFF, AS I

SAID, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR

RELATIONSHIP TO LANGUAGE.

AND WE HAVE TO HAVE THE

CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SO-CALLED

N-WORD.

THE QUESTION IS ALWAYS ASKED WHO

HAS THE RIGHT TO SAY IT AND WHO

DOESN'T.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT

WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION EARLY

ON AND TO HAVE THAT BE SOMETHING

THAT IS ON THEIR MIND BECAUSE

THAT CONVERSATION IS ONE THAT

APPLIES TO MANY OTHER WORDS OR

ENGAGEMENTS IN LANGUAGE THAT WE

MAY BE DON'T CONSIDER AS MUCH

BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT

CONTENTIOUS.

>> RIGHT.

>> WE TALK ABOUT PRODUCTION.

AND HOPEFULLY WE HAVE SOME

ARTISTS WHO ARE ABLE TO KIND OF

SKYPE IN AND TALK VERY

SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE WRITING

OF CERTAIN SONGS.

>> OH, THAT'S GREAT.

>> AND I'M TRYING MY BEST TO

KEEP MY EARS OPEN FOR WHATEVER

COMES OUT AND TO BE RECEPTIVE TO

WHAT THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT

RATHER THAN HAVING THE AGENDA BE

SO LOCKED IN THAT I CAN'T ADJUST

SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT

SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN

THIS MOMENT.

[ RAPPING ].

>> I HELPED MASTER EXTENSION 398

THE MIXTAPE, AND THEY SAID THEY

WERE INSPIRED.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAD AN EXCITEMENT

ABOUT THEM.

MOST CLASSES MAYBE -- I DON'T

KNOW.

A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE DON'T GET

THAT EXCITED ABOUT THEIR COLLEGE

CLASSES.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO WORK AS AN

ARTIST'S MANAGER OR ON THE PR

TEAM OR EVEN AS AN A&R AT A

RECORD LABEL.

RAP LAB AND HIS WRITING RAPS

COURSE IS REALLY HELPFUL FOR

LOOKING INTO THE INDUSTRY.

♪♪♪

>> AT UVA, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF

RAPPERS AND PRODUCERS.

I KNEW THAT I FINALLY HAVE

SOMEONE THAT I COULD TREAT AS MY

MENTOR.

I COULD JUST GO TO AND ASK

HIS OPINIONS ON MY MUSIC AND STUFF

♪♪♪

>> I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR

DISSERTATION.

ALL THE STUDENTS TALK ABOUT

THEIR DISSERTATION WHEN THEY'RE

TALKING ABOUT YOU.

>> AS AN EMCEE, I'M GOING TO BE

WRITING THESE SONGS BECAUSE I

CAN'T GO OR BE ANYWHERE WITHOUT

WRITING MUSIC ABOUT WHAT I'M

GOING THROUGH, WHICH MEANS THAT

AS A DOCTORAL STUDENT I AM

WRITING SONGS ABOUT THE

ENVIRONMENT.

THERE WERE WAYS THAT I WANTED TO

ARTICULATE THINGS THAT ARE

WRITING AN ESSAY OR A STRONGLY

WORDED OP-ED WOULD NOT GET AT.

I FINALLY MADE MY MOVE TO THE

SOUTH.

I GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF

WHAT MY ROOTS ARE ABOUT BECAUSE

MY PEOPLE ARE FROM HERE.

THOUGH I CAN'T SEE THEM FROM

HERE, THEY'RE REFLECTED IN MY

EXPRESSION, SO YOU'RE HEARING

THEM CLEAR.

THAT WAS REALLY -- I DON'T KNOW

THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER WAY TO

EXPRESS WHAT GETS EXPRESSED IN

THAT SONG.

THERE'S NOT AN ESSAY THAT YOU

WRITE THAT DOES THAT WORK, AND

THAT'S THE KIND OF THING I WANT

TO PROVIDE MY STUDENTS ACCESS TO

WHEN THEY'RE IN THE COMPOSING

MIXTAPES CLASS.

♪♪♪

>> MOVING FORWARD, WHAT WOULD

YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH

THESE CLASSES?

>> I REALLY HOPE THE STUDENTS

COME HERE AND RECORD THEIR OWN

PROJECTS AND THAT THEY

COLLABORATE WITH OTHER PEOPLE

WHO ARE IN HERE.

AN EMCEE SHOWS UP AND MEETS THE

PRODUCER, AND THEN THEY START A

RELATIONSHIP THAT PRODUCES SOME

DOPE MUSIC.

I HOPE THERE CONTINUE TO BE

RESOURCES SO THAT A SPACE LIKE

THIS EXISTS WHERE FOLKS FROM THE

UNIVERSITY, FROM THE COMMUNITY,

FROM WHEREVER CAN MEET AND

CONVERSE AND COLLABORATE AND

CONSTRUCT AND COMPOSE AND DO ALL

OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING

IN THIS VERY SMALL WAY IN THESE

CLASSROOMS, THAT THAT EXISTS

EXTERNAL TO HERE IN THIS

BUILDING WHERE FOLKS DON'T HAVE

TO NAVIGATE THE CAMPUS IN ORDER

TO GET TO IT.

HOPEFULLY, THAT'S IN LINE WITH

SOME STUFF THAT THE UNIVERSITY

SEES ITSELF INVOLVED IN AT SOME

POINT.

>> I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THE

GOAL OF MY MUSIC IS GOING TO BE

AT THIS POINT, BUT I'M HOPING

THAT THROUGH THIS CLASS I KIND

OF DISCOVER MY VOICE.

>> I THINK I'M PUTTING MYSELF

OUT THERE A LOT BY GIVING MY

CREATIVE EXPRESSION A PLATFORM

TO AN AUDIENCE THAT I DON'T

REALLY KNOW THAT WELL, BUT IT

ALSO ALLOWED ME TO BE MORE

SECURE IN WHAT I'M DOING.

>> YEAH, I LOVE IT.

I REALLY WANT TO BE A RAPPER.

I REALLY WANT TO TOUR AROUND THE

WORLD AND PERFORM.

I DO IT EVERY DAY.

>> EVERY LINE ENDS WITH KANYE.

EVERY SINGLE LINE ENDS WITH

KANYE.

LET'S DO IT.

I LOVE KANYE.