Rapsody’s EVE is considered by some people to be the best hip-hop album of 2019 bar none (it’s me…I’m “some people”) and now, it has inspired courses at two universities.
Doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tyler Bunzey announced via Instagram on Tuesday that the NC rapper’s third studio album, which she described as a “love letter to all Black women,” will be the focus of his upcoming course.
“I’m incredibly pleased to announce that I will be teaching a course at UNC this fall on Rapsody’s magnificent album EVE,” Bunzey wrote. “We will be examining the album track by track with readings and media to accompany each record.”
For folks who are unfamiliar with Marlanna Evans a.k.a. Rapsody and her album EVE—first of all, shame on you, but I’ll put you on—each of the 16 tracks on the album are named for and inspired by a different influential black woman. These women include Nina Simone, Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Aaliyah, Michelle Obama and Myrlie Evers-Williams.
According to the course description, Bunzey’s course will explore “the critical womanist stance” of the album and will take a “look at hip-hop’s historical development to engage with albums from female-identifying hip-hoppers throughout the genre’s history.”
“Using critical reading and listening skills, students will present original research on hip-hop history, Black womanist criticism, and critical theory,” the course description continues.
According to Revolt, EVE has also inspired an upcoming course at Ohio State University which will be taught by author and Associate Professor of African American and African Studies Simone Drake. The course titled, “Toni Morrison’s Houses of Women and Rapsody’s EVE,” will examine the work of late iconic novelist and college professor Toni Morrison and EVE as “physical spaces in which Black women disrupt, interrupt, and erupt into societies who conceive of Black women in ways that are both limited and limiting.”
Rapsody is apparently thrilled that her work is being used to educate. On Tuesday she showed her appreciation on Instagram writing, “One of the highest honors is to create art for the culture and have it taught in our educational institutions! Thank you [Tyler Bunzey] at [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill] and Simone Drake at [The Ohio State University].”
What a great win for great hip-hop.
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