Overview
Rap has remapped the way we think about music. For more than fifty years its poetics, performance and political power has resonated across the globe. This Panel Discussion brings together the editors of The Cambridge Companion to Global Rap and a number of its contributors to discuss the global reach and influence of rap music today.
The book offers an array of perspectives, from the fields of philosophy, sociology, linguistics, musicology, psychology, literary studies and education, unpacking how this versatile form of oral communication has permeated nearly every aspect of daily life. Taking a decidedly global perspective, these accounts draw from practice in Australia, China, France, Germany, Jamaica, India and Tanzania; exploring how the form has taken hold in particular contexts, and what this can tell us about the medium itself and the environments in which it has been repurposed.
Chaired by Dr Stephen Wilford, this interactive session will see contributors share stories about their relationship to rap, and address the book’s core themes, before opening out into a Q&A Discussion with the audience. We also provocatively ask two questions: Is rap the most important popular music genre in the world right now? And if so, is Cambridge University the best place to be studying it?
Speakers
Dr Richard Bramwell is Senior Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies at Loughborough University. He is the author of UK Hip Hop, Grime and the City (2015). His research has been published in Popular Music, Ethnic and Racial Studies, and Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power.
Dr Alex de Lacey is Assistant Professor in Popular Music, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. He is the author of Level Up: Live Performance and Creative Process in Grime Music (2023). His research on rap has appeared in Popular Music, Popular Music History, and Global Hip-Hop Studies.
Dr Paroma Ghose is a sociocultural historian, currently working with the CONDE project at the Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History, Munich, as a postdoctoral researcher.
Dr Becky Inkster is a mental health neuroscientist. She obtained her DPhil in psychiatry at Oxford University and is currently affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge University.
Details
This special event celebrates Black History Month and is organised in collaboration between the Wolfson Humanities Society with Wolfson College Research Networks.
Following the main discussion, there will be a drinks reception, pizzas and live DJs from 19.00.
Access
This event will take place in the Lee Hall which has step-free access and an accessible toilet.
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact our events team - events@wolfson.cam.ac.uk
Wolfson Humanities Society
The Humanities Society organises regular talks spanning a wide range of topics which take place every Tuesday during term time - please sign up to their mailing list to keep up to date with their upcoming events.
Wolfson College Research Networks
The Wolfson College Research Networks are the College’s central hub for research activity, fostering excellence in learning, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Organising and curating a diverse programme of academic events, the Research Networks support the College’s research hubs and initiatives, and facilitates knowledge exchange by connecting scholars across disciplines within Wolfson, the wider University, and industry.
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