Washington University now offers a course on Kanye West

The Grio


There is a brand new course for students to take at St. Louis's Washington University. It's called the "Politics of Kanye West: Black Genius and Sonic Aesthetics."

To date, 75 students have registered for the class. According to the professor, Dr. Jeffrey McCune, the course is not about idolizing West, instead, they are using West as a "good way to get students to connect issues of politics, race, gender, sexuality and culture."

McCune says he has had the idea for this class for some time.

— Trump staffer says Kanye West not 'traditionally American' for inauguration —

"I always wanted to teach a course looking at black genius and the impossibility of black genius for the American public," he said. "We're always thought of as maybe being articulate or smart but not really genius...Kanye really uses hip-hop as a vehicle to display all of his talents, albeit some better than others."

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The class will serve up lectures on Tuesdays as well as "critical listening parties," and sometimes guest artists on Thursdays.

Some of the topics that will be covered are:

  • "Who is Kanye West and Why Is He in the Flashing Lights?"

  • "Touch the Sky, When the Aspirant Turns Genius"

  • "Father Stretch My Hands, or How Hip-Hop Takes Us to Church"

  • "Love Lock Down, or Hip-Hop's Queer Love Languages"

  • "I Love Kanye, or How Critique Slips Into Hate"

According to the professor, they will also dedicate a segment of the course to "The Swift Moment" when West rushed the stage during Taylor Swifts 2009 acceptance speech at the VMA's.

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