Who lays claim to hip hop when its arts and cultures are shared worldwide? This course traces hip hop’s movement over forty years from a transnational, Afro-diasporic South Bronx to six continents. To understand its circulation, this course explores the racialization of United States popular musics, a history and practice of difference-making that profoundly informs the way hip hop has been and continues to be perceived in the US. Students visit DC institutions, conduct research in the residence halls, and learn to make historical, cultural, and musical connections between songs.