Legacy of Hip Hop: A Sonic Exploration
January 29, 2025 - Johannes Barfield
Date: February 4, 2025, 5:00 pm
Location: Spectra Gallery, Forum, Honors College
This exhibition showcases the artistry of sample-based music production, a foundational element of hip-hop. Displayed are six iconic vinyl album covers: Sade’s Promise (1985), Al Green’s I’m Still In Love With You (1972), Curtis Mayfield’s Curtis (1970), Minnie Riperton’s Adventures in Paradise (1975), James Brown’s Reality (1974), and Aretha Franklin’s Sparkle (1976), celebrating artists whose music has profoundly influenced hip-hop.
Alongside these covers, immerse yourself in the sounds of student-created compositions. Sampling is the practice of taking a portion of a sound recording, such as a melody, rhythm, or vocal phrase, and repurposing it to create new music. The students also incorporated field recordings, capturing real-world sounds like a collective drum track made from table beats and hand claps, stomping feet, sticks running across metal bars, planes passing overhead, walking through grass, and the chime of church bells.
Using sound editing software and basic music theory, the students explored rhythm, time signature, and looping to create music compositions. This hands-on approach allowed them to honor hip-hop’s legacy while forging their own creative paths.
Curated by Professor Johannes Barfield, this exhibition features the contributions of three Legacy of Hip Hop courses taught in the fall of 2023 and the fall of 2024. It is both a tribute to hip-hop’s roots and a celebration of how its techniques inspire new generations to find their voice in sound.
