Originally released in 2018, this archival episode revisits the 2018 conversation about the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in shaping the field of Hip Hop Studies.

Recorded at Howard University, the panel brought together scholars from 3 HBCUs in the Washington, DC area to discuss the significance of teaching hip hop in Black academic spaces, the relationship between hip hop and activism, and the responsibility of HBCUs to preserve, interrogate, and advance Black cultural knowledge.

In addition to the host, Dr. Msia Kibona Clark are:

Listening back nearly a decade later, many of the questions raised during this discussion remain just as relevant. Since this conversation was recorded, Hip Hop Studies has continued to grow as an academic field. Since 2018, Howard University launched a Hip Hop Studies minor and now hosts an annual Hip Hop Studies Conference.

If you have not, remember to go to hiphop.howard.edu for information on the Hip Hop Studies minor and upcoming conference (November 13-15, 2026.