Public Schools Now Teaching Kids A Class On Kanye West... We Are Not Joking According to recent reports, it appears that some University of Missouri students are throwing their student loans towards a copy of Watch the Throne. And no, they arent breaking the law. They are simply signing up for English 2169, where they will study rappers to the likes of Jay-Z and Kanye West. Professor Andrew Hoberek, who has a background in 20th century literature, introduced the class in 2013. The class filled quickly, and sure enough, the course description can be found again in the catalogue for the Fall 2014 semester. The course description is below: This course looks at the career and work of Jay-Z and Kanye West from three perspectives: (1) Where do they fit within, and how do they change, the history of hip-hop music? (2) How is what they do similar to and different from what poets do?, and (3) How does their rise to both celebrity and corporate power alter what we understand as the American dream? In addition to listening to music and watching videos, we will also read Jay-Zs Decoded; histories of and critical works on rap music by Jeff Chang, Adam Bradley, and others; and one or two good studies of how poetry works. According to Hoberek, he was listening to a lot of Kanye and Jay-Z when he was trying to decide what classes to offer, and hed heard of pop culture-themed courses at other universities. According to The Huffington Post, Hoberek designed his course around the following: (1) the history of poetic form in English, and how it does and doesnt apply to rap; (2) the history of rap as a new art form; (3) how to do research into popular culture; and (4) how to become a better, more knowledgeable listener to rap. While Hoberek considers the class a success, others have questions as to whether students should be spending their tuition money supporting rappers like Kanye West. What do you think? Would you let your child study these two rappers? 