Spect-Actors in Rap Battles

by Kali Robinson

Diana Taylor describes Augustin Boal’s “spect-actor” concept as “people capable of acting and interrupting the performance, or changing the roles they’ve been assigned.” (Taylor p. 80). Rap battles embody the concept of the spect-actor in a big way, for each battle rapper literally switches from the rapper-role, to a rapper-spectator role, meaning that each rapper in the battle switches between modes of spectatorship and performance; and without ever really completely leaving either.

These two rappers, "Hollow Da Don" and "Loaded Lux" face off against each other in a U DUBB battle rap league competition. Each rapper will take turns rapping, and listening to the other rapper spit, embodying spectator and performer roles in turn.

HHC Selected Tracks From the Deep Underground Edition II

by Kali Robinson

Here it is! Amherst College HHC Selected Tracks From the Deep Underground Edition II. The tracks have been arranged thematically and arc through falling in love, suspension in atmospheric reflection on blackness, racism, and violence, through life of rap, drugs, trapping, and murder, to a reflection on police and city shootings, and on to some freestyle rap, with a gem on Retro Spectro's "Let Me". Check out this dope playlist which will be posted to the music section of the blog and let us know what you think! Love and Hip Hop Always <3.

*Update* "Amherst College Has No Real Reason To Stay Closed Today, So I Guess We're Open" States Chief Carter of Amherst College Police

Police Chief John Carter, addressed the student body in an email early monday morning:

"Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Ahh, Yea. So the College will open at our normal time today, February 13, 2017 it looks like. Grounds and Custodial staff have been in overnight and through their, frankly, crazy efforts - like I don't know why they just don't stay home and get some rest, what the hell are they trying to prove anyways - the roads, lots, and walkways are in safe and usable condition. The public roads around campus are in good condition and traffic is moving well. And Staff will continue to work throughout the morning to address the clean-up. So yea, we have no real reason to close today unfortunately. Have good fucking day everyone, this fucking sucks."  

John B. Carter

Police Chief/Director of Public Safety

HHC Spotlight: Bklyn Boihood

by Kali Robinson

What's up yall. So in the down time I have had over winter break, I have be studying up on qtpoc, trans-activism, and the transman/transwoman experience. In my exploration I found this dope collective operating out of Brooklyn, aptly named Bklyn Boihood.

So I first encountered this dope group watching this episode of First Person (First Person is dope as well btw - check out their stuff).

Amandla Sternberg on Cultural Appropriation in Hip Hop

So, this video is very old, but as a writer for the HHC blog I figured that I had to post it. Amandla Sternberg absolutely reads white women such as Iggy Azalea, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus who appropriated aspects of black culture and hip hop to give "edge" to their performances.




"Cultural appropriation occurs when a style leads to racist generalizations or stereotypes where it originated, but is deemed as high-fashion, cool, or funny when the privileged take it for themselves."

Conversations like these are so necessary and I appreciate you Amandla Sternberg for speaking up.

Love and Hip Hop Always - HHC

“The Life of Pablo” Reveals Kanye West at His Most Sacred and Profane

By Andrew Lindsay

A little black girl with pigtails holds her mother’s hands. She sways back and forth, pleading for God’s anointing. Her words, familiar to children of black evangelicals everywhere, invoke the Spirit of the Lord. “We don’t want no devils in the house God,” screams the girl, “Hallelujah over Satan … Jesus praise the lord.” This video from “Natalie is Great,” a four-year old Instagram child star, provides the intro and primary sample for track one, “Ultralight Beam,” on Kanye West’s latest effort, “The Life of Pablo.” This sample is the embodiment of collaborative foundations for the work, the sacred and the profane.


Kanye West’s highly anticipated album “The Life of Pablo: Which/One” features artists including Chance the Rapper, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, Frank Ocean and Post Malone.

HHC Selected Tracks From The Deep Underground Edition I

Always appreciative of underground hip-hop and rap music, I decided to put together some choice pics from what I've been listening to. All these artists are lit up like the sky on the fourth of july, and I always love listening to these songs. I hope you hip hop heads enjoy this as much I do. Let me know who's hot and who's not.