Hip-Hop is Folk Music is an initiative of the Freight & Salvage Education Department designed to illuminate connections between hip-hop and related folk music forms, uncover lost or hidden narratives, expand the ears of young musicians, and inspire exploration of the music traditions from earlier times and various cultures.

History of the Banjo:

• That Half Barbaric Twang, by Karen Linn
• Banjo Roots and Branches, edited by Robert Winans
• African Banjo Echoes in Appalachia, by Cecelia Conway
• Black String Band Resource page compiled by Jake Blount
• “Historical Narratives of the Akonting and Banjo” by Scott V Linford, published in Ethnomusicology Review
• “The Banjo’s Roots, Reconsidered,” by Greg Allen for All Things Considered
• Excerpts from Rhiannon Giddens’ Keynote Address at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards in 2017
• Resources for Learning the Banjo
• Banjo Hangout: an online forum for all things banjo

History of Hip Hop:

• Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation, by Jeff Chang
• The Dozens: A History of Rap’s Mama, by Elijah Wald
• Holler if You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur, by Michael Eric Dyson
• The Tao of Wu, by The RZA
• “Hip Hop: A Culture of Vision and Voice” by Sean McCollum for the Kennedy Center
• “The Birth of Hip Hop” Black History in Two Minutes (https://blackhistoryintwominutes.com/the-birth-of-hip-hop/)
• Hip Hop History: From the Streets to the Mainstream by Rory PQ for Icon Collective
• Linton Kwesi Johnson (UK pioneer): “‘Bass Culture’ And ‘In Dub’: Linton Kwesi Johnson’s Dub Poetry” by Reggie Mint
• “Gil Scott-Heron: Forefather of Rap” by Claudia Marshall
• “The Peerless Imagination of Greg Tate” by Jon Caramanica
• Cindy Campbell’s Back to School Party Birthed Hip Hop by Nadirah Simmons for The Gumbo 

Beatmaking Resources:

• BandLab, a free beatmaking site
• BandLab Tutorial by LiL MC
• Drum programming tutorial on Ableton

Other Relevant links:

• RAP is FOLK Music: The Duality of Identity by Justin Harrington
• “Muhammad Ali: The World’s Greatest Boxer Was Also a Hip Hop Pioneer” by Mosi Reeves for Rolling Stone. Need proof? Check this out: Ali Rap
• When Folk Music Speaks: Ben Hunter
• Sankofa: Reclaiming Histories, The Carolina Chocolate Drops
• “From folk to hip-hop: protest music through the years” by Cathleen Weng
• 7 Essential Apps for Making Music on the Go

Presenters:
Megan Correa: lilmcmusic.com

Evie Ladin: evieladin.com