Hip Hop and critical theory

[Rustum Kozain]

> Hip Hop as the opiate of the masses?
> 
> Kevin D. Haggerty
>  
> > Hip-hop is just another pseudo-activity in this pseudo-reality. It's
> > counter-productive, just like popular sixties culture (excluding the
> > universities) was. John Lennon could write and sing:
> >      Keep you doped up with religion and sex and TV
> >      And you think you're so clever and classless and free
> >      But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
> >      A working class hero is something to be
> > as much as he liked. The pseudo-activity of listening to his and other
> > "protest music" had a strong narcotizing effect, creating the most
> > neo-conservitive generation since Hoover.
> >               Keeping it short,  David Wachtfogel


What about theory as the opiate of academics?
I guess I should introduce myself. I've been lurking on here for some 
time and this morning saw the ref to hip hop and thought I'd chip in, 
although I'm running off to teach.

I'm a PhD candidate in the dept of English, UCT, South Africa, with 
some background in the Frankfurt School and the Birmingham strand of 
Cultrural studies.

More thoughts on hip hop later.
Rustum
 





Rustum Kozain
Department of English
University of Cape Town
Rondebosch, South Africa
email: kozain@beattie.uct.ac.za

                'I met History once, but he ain't recognise me'
                                    -Derek Walcott