Alejandro Nava – The Conversation

Hip-hop culture spread quickly – to places like London, seen here in 1984. Kerstin Rodgers/Redferns

August 11, 2023

Hip‑hop at 50: 7 essential listens to celebrate rap’s widespread influence

Howard Manly, The Conversation; Jamaal Abdul-Alim, The Conversation; Matt Williams, The Conversation; Molly Jackson, The Conversation, and Nick Lehr, The Conversation

On Aug. 11, 1973, a block party in the Bronx spawned a genre that would go on to influence nearly all aspects of US culture – and the music, fashion and art of countries around the world.

Puerto Rican singer Residente performs in Havana in 2010. His back reads, ‘We receive flowers and bullets in the very same heart.’ STR/AFP via Getty Images

May 31, 2023

Street scrolls: The beats, rhymes and spirituality of Latin hip‑hop

Alejandro Nava, University of Arizona

Latino artists have been forging their own paths in hip-hop for decades, giving voice to young peoples’ pain, faith and demands for change.

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