Kendrick Lamar's Music is Now a College Course — Professor Timothy Welbeck Explains🎙 Artwork

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Kendrick Lamar's Music is Now a College Course — Professor Timothy Welbeck Explains🎙

August 14, 2025 • Read More Media • Season 1 • Episode 30

On this episode of Bookum Creators Talk Podcast, Professor Timothy Welbeck from Temple University explains why Kendrick Lamar's music has become college curriculum and how hip-hop education is transforming academic discourse.

In this comprehensive interview, we explore hip-hop as a scholarly discipline, the cultural impact of Kendrick Lamar, and the current state of rap journalism. From analyzing the Kendrick vs Drake beef to discussing what makes a "classic" hip-hop album, Professor Welbeck breaks down the intersection of hip-hop culture and higher education.

🎓 About Professor Timothy Welbeck:

Hip-hop scholar and educator at Temple University
Teaches courses on Kendrick Lamar and hip-hop culture
Author, musician, and cultural critic

Connect with Professor Welbeck:
🌐 Website: https://www.timothywelbeck.com/timothy
🎵 Music: https://www.timothywelbeck.com/music

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TIMESTAMPS
1:05 - Current Music to listen to
2:33 - How do you define a "Classic" Hiphop Album
4:40 - Music that changed his life
6:53 - Teaching Hiphop as a College Course
9:20 - Hiphop and Black Culture Course
11:50 - Books to read to better understand hiphop
13:33 - Group v. Independent Listening
16:20 - Kendrick Lamar Course
19:15 - Preparing for the Kendrick Course
20:34 - How the students prepare for the class?
22:39 - The Text for the Kendrick Course
23:45 - Kendrick being a recluse
24:50 - Kobe & Kendrick Lamar Comparisons
26:02 - Kendrick Lamar impact on Pop Culture
30:02 - Kendrick's Personas
33:01 - Protest Music in Hiphop
35:58 - Kendrick & Drake Beef
38:30 - Drake Lawsuit
42:21 - The State of Hiphop Journalism & Media at large
46:30 - Engaging with New Music / Avoiding becoming an oldhead
49:30 - Timothy's writing process & Music practice
52:02 - Timothy's music making process
54:20 - Artist navigating current music landscape
58:30 - Rapid-Fire Questions
1:01:20 - Hiphop Fans Toolkit

📚 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
Hip-Hop History & Culture:

Can't Stop Won't Stop by Jeff Chang (Hip-hop History Book)
Black Noise by Tricia Rose (History of Hip-hop)
Prophets of the Hood by Imani Perry
The Tanning of America by Mim Eichler Rivas and Steve Stoute

Cultural Context & Analysis:

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander (Topical Hip-hop Discussions)
Racial for Profit (Housing Segregation)
Works by Sam Anderson

Kendrick Lamar Studies:

The Butterfly Effect by Marcus J. Moore (Kendrick Lamar)

🎵 MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS
Contemporary Picks:

Odyssey - "In Routine"
Little Simz - "Lotus"
Clipse - "Let God Sort Em Out"
Two Live Crew

Soul & Funk Foundations:

James Brown - "I Got You"
Aretha Franklin - "I've Never Loved a Man"
Booker T. & the M.G.'s - "Green Onions"
Sade - "Love Deluxe"
Marvin Gaye - "What's Going On"

Global & Spiritual Influences:

Osibisa - "Woyaya"
Osibisa - "Osibisa"
Mahalia Jackson
Bebe Winans
CeCe Winans
Yolanda Adams
Mississippi Mass Choir

Underrated Artists to Discover:

Odyssey
Maya Youssef

Essential Albums:

To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar (Kendrick's Magnum Opus)
Innervisions - Stevie Wonder (Studio Session You Wish You Were In)
Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder (Studio Session You Wish You Were In)

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