Final Paper —  This a formal paper and 600 minimun words are required.  Your paper must meet academic guidelines with a thesis, justifications, citations and new research.  

Choose a movie form Gridlock’d (1997, Director Vondie Curtis-Hall) or Friday. Director’s Cut. (1995, Director F. Gary Grayz) or Get Rich or Dir Tryin’ 2005

(also, some course materials are attached)

Using course material and your new academic source(s) you have researched, select a hip hop film that is not required during the course.  You can use the optional films but NOT documentaries.  The film can be any hip hop film, national or international.  Such a film must have a significant hip hop soundtrack or theme. ​You can pick from the fictional films listed as optional in the module summary of activities.  These films are in Panopto.

The purpose of the paper is to critically analyze a film that is NOT listed as a course offering, to situate it within course ideas, theories and history. It is also to evaluate the content, mise en scene and hip hop cultural/musical influences. This is a also a good opportunity to research hip hop films from other ethnicities and races for example if you are interested in this area.

• Develop a thesis after picking one or two ideas from an academic article as the starting point for analysis.  Reference this primary source(s) in your first paragraph which will include your thesis.  Throughout the rest of your paper you will use in-text citations referencing course ideas and including your new research.
• Structure your paper so that your thesis and sub-assertions are supported by
  • analysis of the narrative, themes, scenes and mise en scene
  • academic sources — use nonacademic sparingly, most for director/actor quotes etc. 
  • academically supported historical and cultural context
• Consider as appropriate
  • artistic and studio motivations for the film (research directors, studio, etc. as appropriate)
  • who the film is intended to appeal to– its audience(s) and larger meanings for them
  • how the film relates or does not relate to hip hop’s theoretical concerns and issues 
  • how it addresses or does not address African Americans, hip hop origins and what that suggests

Use the Rubric as a guideline for writing the Final Paper.

PAPER FORMAT

This is generally the format of what your paper should look like.

Paragraph 1 — introduction to tell me where you are going. This paragraph includes or starts with a specific distinct thesis that states exactly what you plan to argue. It does not say “I will discuss…”  Instead, state your argument and move on to prove it.  If I have to wait until the end of the paper to figure out what your point is, you have already failed.  Some students put the thesis sentence in italics or bold it. If you want to do this that’s fine.  It helps me zero in immediately on what you will argue and may help you keep track of your focus.

Paragraphs 2-5 — justifications. Each subsequent paragraph proves some part of your thesis. They start with and include sub-assertions. These sub-assertions introduce related bits of evidence and are in effect a mini thesis that makes a refined point about SOME aspect of the thesis. In other words, it pinpoints a specific part of the thesis and explains why the information you present is relevant. After the sub assertion, include your evidence — an example, quote, and citation, for example. You must include examples from the narrative. You can combine justifications in paragraphs as long as they relate to the sub assertion, which on a larger scale connects to the thesis.   Start each new paragraph with new sub-assertions and justification that highlights another different part of the thesis.  Continue until all parts of your thesis are illustrated and justified.  Adjust your thesis if need be.

Final Paragraph — add some deeper insight. You started with a thesis — what additional intellectual points can you add that both reflects the original thesis but seems to carry your initial concept further?