Bernard Freeman better known as BUN B will be a distinguished guest lecturer at Rice University in the Spring of 2011 for a class called Religion and Hip Hop Culture In America. His latest album “Trill OG” is in stores now.
How did you first become involved in this?
I was guest lecturer for the hip hop and religion class in fall '09 and I got to talking with Dr. Anthony Penn, the teacher of the class and head of religious studies at Rice. We found out that we shared a lot of the same ideas and it occurred to us — well him primarily — that me being an addition to this course in a teaching aspect could be an opportunity to create something very new and very real in higher education.
I was guest lecturer for the hip hop and religion class in fall '09 and I got to talking with Dr. Anthony Penn, the teacher of the class and head of religious studies at Rice. We found out that we shared a lot of the same ideas and it occurred to us — well him primarily — that me being an addition to this course in a teaching aspect could be an opportunity to create something very new and very real in higher education.
What's the course going to include?
We'll be reflecting on the nature and content of hip hop as a religious experience. As well as religious expression. We'll discuss the history of rap music and find the different parallels and correlations between religion and hip hop. People will be surprised at how many instances there are. Just the Five-Percent Nations presence in hip hop alone during the late '80s and early '90s — we could teach for days just on that. And other different things — we have Jewish rappers now.
We'll be reflecting on the nature and content of hip hop as a religious experience. As well as religious expression. We'll discuss the history of rap music and find the different parallels and correlations between religion and hip hop. People will be surprised at how many instances there are. Just the Five-Percent Nations presence in hip hop alone during the late '80s and early '90s — we could teach for days just on that. And other different things — we have Jewish rappers now.
Are you nervous at all?
Absolutely, I would be a fool if I wasn't. I have to be very careful with what I do because this could either open a lot of doors and opportunities for other people or it could shut them down solid. Point blank, period. I know that everybody doesn't want to see this happen, so we just have to be careful not to give anyone any ammunition to shoot this down. But I feel good about it.
For more on the full story visit - NPR
Absolutely, I would be a fool if I wasn't. I have to be very careful with what I do because this could either open a lot of doors and opportunities for other people or it could shut them down solid. Point blank, period. I know that everybody doesn't want to see this happen, so we just have to be careful not to give anyone any ammunition to shoot this down. But I feel good about it.
For more on the full story visit - NPR
