Washington University Has A New “Politics Of Kanye West”Class

St. Louis’ Washington University is introducing a college course focusing on the politics and aesthetics of Kanye West.  The class began this week and already has over 75 registered students with more kids on a waiting list.

Jeffrey McCune works in the African-American studies department at the St. Louis  University, and will serve as the professor for the course. He says it will offer a way for students to connect issues of politics, race, gender, sexuality and culture. “I always wanted to teach a course looking at black genius and the impossibility of black genius for the American public,” he says. “We’re always thought of as maybe being articulate or smart but not really genius.”

“Hip-hop is a way to show our creative genius,” says McCune. “Kanye really uses hip-hop as a vehicle to display all of his talents, albeit some better than others. I’m always interested in how he’s pushing whatever boundaries.”

Some topics include:

“Who is Kanye West and Why Is He in the Flashing Lights?”

“Touch the Sky, When the Aspirant Turns Genius”

“Father Stretch My Hands, or How Hip-Hop Takes Us to Church”

“Love Lock Down, or Hip-Hop’s Queer Love Languages”

“I Love Kanye, or How Critique Slips Into Hate”