ENC 3021-003 - Fall 2025 - Donahue

This course traces the history of rhetoric alongside the development of hip-hop, examining how both have shaped and responded to cultural, political, and technological change. Students will explore how rhetorical concepts—such as persuasion, argumentation, and style—manifest across oral traditions, written texts, and digital media. By analyzing key rhetorical figures (e.g., Aristotle, Cicero, Gorgias) alongside influential hip-hop artists (e.g., Lamar, Hill, Shakur), students will investigate the evolving role of rhetoric in public discourse. Through critical analysis and multimodal composition, the course will highlight hip-hop’s contributions to contemporary journalism, media technologies, and activist movements while contextualizing its place within the larger rhetorical tradition.