Breakbeat Pedagogy: Hip Hop and Spoken Word Beyond the Classroom Walls

166 Pages·2016·13.91 MB·English

by  Brian Mooney

512
Breakbeat Pedagogy provides a groundbreaking framework for the inclusion of Hip
Hop culture in schools. Working from the perspective of a classroom teacher, Mooney
reflects on the story of Word Up!, a Hip Hop and spoken word poetry event that began B
with students in a New Jersey high school, making the case for a pedagogy with the R
potential to transform urban schools and the way we think about them. This is
E
essential reading for any teacher committed to social justice and culturally responsive
A
education.
K
“Brian Mooney’s theoretical and practical explorations of the breakbeat cover necessary
B
new ground and exemplify what a new type of education work the #HipHopEd community is
E
getting done…Much of the gift that this text provides is showing readers how to own oneself
and one’s own privileges while doing revolutionary work.” A
—From the Foreword by Christopher Emdin, Teachers College, Columbia University T
“Breakbeat Pedagogy is a triumph of imagination, one that fuses the ingenuity of the everyday
P
with the groundbreaking science of Hip Hop pedagogy....For Mooney, to know is to break,
E
and to break is to build.”
—David E. Kirkland, NewYork University D
“A gifted teacher...Mooney reminds that Hip Hop can help schools fulfill their potential as A
places of exploration, expression, and exchange.”
G
—Bronwen Low, McGill University
O
“I was intrigued that somebody other than myself can articulate and break down the concepts
of To Pimp a Butterfly almost better than I can. That let me know he’s a true lover of music.” G
—Kendrick Lamar, GrammyAward-winning rapper
Y
BRIAN MOONEY is an educator, scholar, and author
M
who explores the intersections of Hip Hop, spoken word,
literacy, and urban education. He is a doctoral student at O
O
Teachers College, Columbia University, and teaches high
N
school in New Jersey. Brian’s work has been featured by
E
The New York Times, NBC, Rolling Stone, NPR, SiriusXM,
Y
MTV, and others.
P
E
T
E
R
L
512 A
N
G
www.peterlang.com
Cover design by Paul Beresniewicz
512
Breakbeat Pedagogy provides a groundbreaking framework for the inclusion of Hip
Hop culture in schools. Working from the perspective of a classroom teacher, Mooney
refl ects on the story of Word Up!, a Hip Hop and spoken word poetry event that began B
with students in a New Jersey high school, making the case for a pedagogy with the R
potential to transform urban schools and the way we think about them. This is
E
essential reading for any teacher committed to social justice and culturally responsive
A
education.
K
“Brian Mooney’s theoretical and practical explorations of the breakbeat cover necessary
B
new ground and exemplify what a new type of education work the #HipHopEd community is
E
getting done…Much of the gift that this text provides is showing readers how to own oneself
and one’s own privileges while doing revolutionary work.” A
—From the Foreword by Christopher Emdin, Teachers College, Columbia University T
“Breakbeat Pedagogy is a triumph of imagination, one that fuses the ingenuity of the everyday
P
with the groundbreaking science of Hip Hop pedagogy....For Mooney, to know is to break,
E
and to break is to build.”
—David E. Kirkland, New York University D
“A gifted teacher...Mooney reminds that Hip Hop can help schools fulfi ll their potential as A
places of exploration, expression, and exchange.”
G
—Bronwen Low, McGill University
O
“I was intrigued that somebody other than myself can articulate and break down the concepts
of To Pimp a Butterfl y almost better than I can. That let me know he’s a true lover of music.” G
—Kendrick Lamar, Grammy Award-winning rapper
Y
BRIAN MOONEY is an educator, scholar, and author
M
who explores the intersections of Hip Hop, spoken word,
literacy, and urban education. He is a doctoral student at O
O
Teachers College, Columbia University, and teaches high
N
school in New Jersey. Brian’s work has been featured by
E
The New York Times, NBC, Rolling Stone, NPR, SiriusXM,
Y
MTV, and others.
P
E
T
E
R
L
512 A
N
G
www.peterlang.com
Cover design by Paul Beresniewicz
Breakbeat Pedagogy
Studies in Criticality
Shirley R. Steinberg
General Editor
Vol. 512
The Counterpoints series is part of the Peter Lang Education list.
Every volume is peer reviewed and meets
the highest quality standards for content and production.
PETER LANG
New York  Bern  Frankfurt  Berlin
Brussels  Vienna  Oxford  Warsaw
Brian Mooney
Breakbeat Pedagogy
Hip Hop and Spoken Word
Beyond the Classroom Walls
Foreword by Christopher Emdin
PETER LANG
New York  Bern  Frankfurt  Berlin
Brussels  Vienna  Oxford  Warsaw
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Mooney, Brian, author.
Title: Breakbeat pedagogy: hip-hop and spoken word
beyond the classroom walls / Brian Mooney.
Description: New York: Peter Lang, 2016.
Series: Counterpoints: studies in criticality; vol. 512 | ISSN 1058-1634
Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016015059 | ISBN 978-1-4331-3325-1 (hardcover: alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4331-3324-4 (paperback: alk. paper) | ISBN 978-1-4539-1814-2 (ebook pdf)
ISBN 978-1-4331-3618-4 (epub) | ISBN978-1-4331-3619-1 (mobi)
Subjects: LCSH: Education, Urban—United States—Sociological aspects.
Hip-hop—United States—Influence. | Performance poetry—
Study and teaching—United States. | Culturally relevant pedagogy—United States.
African American youth—Education.
Classification: LCC LC5131 .M58 2016 | DDC 370.9173/2—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016015059
Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data are available
on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de/.
© 2016 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York
29 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10006
www.peterlang.com
All rights reserved.
Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,
xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited.
To my students
Past, Present, & Future
Well now you’re forced to listen to the teacher and the lesson
Class is in session so you can stop guessin’
If this is a tape or a written down memo
In fact call it a lecture, a visual picture
Sort of a poetic and rhythm-like mixture
–KRS-One

contents
Foreword ix
Shout Outs xiii
Chapter 1. The Audacity of Breaking 1
Chapter 2. A Nuyo Love 17
Chapter 3. Breakin’ It Down 27
Chapter 4. Word Up! 39
Chapter 5. Breakbeat Pedagogy 51
Chapter 6. Writing as Breaking 61
Chapter 7. Reading as Breaking 77
Chapter 8. Speaking as Breaking 85
Chapter 9. Pimping Butterflies and Teaching Stars 105
Chapter 10. Future Breaks 115
Appendixes 121
References 145
About the Author 149