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</p><p>As he made his way to the front of the lecture hall, Melle Mel screamed and brought the audience to their feet. He wore a navy blue suit, a matching fedora, black gloves and large pieces of chunky silver jewelry around his neck and fingers. Melle Mel then sat down in a chair next to hip-hop historian and writer Jayquan, ready to be interviewed about his career in hip-hop.</p>
<p>The pioneering rapper was at 快活林性息 to give insight into his career in one of America’s most original art forms. This opportunity of the legendary rapper Melle Mel from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five visiting the university was made possible through the efforts of 快活林性息鈥檚 CIPHER. CIPHER (Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research) was developed in 2019 and provides students a critical level of analysis and educates them on the history, elements and trends of hip-hop.</p>
<p>“Hip-hop is important because it is a reflection of the human experience. It’s an American art form. It was one of the more recent creations within the American musical art forms,” said Yan Searcy, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, which houses CIPHER.</p>
<p>Searcy is credited with creating the center. He has a passion for hip-hop and wants to elevate the art form. Searcy said the goal of CIPHER is to connect students and hip-hop enthusiasts on personal and professional levels 鈥渋n a way that some hip-hop centers haven鈥檛 done.”</p>
<p>“It鈥檚 about not just archiving and curating, it鈥檚 about understanding, it鈥檚 about exploration, it鈥檚 about a reflection of the human experience. So you can make the argument that every department is reflected within hip-hop, so clearly Africana studies, clearly sociology, clearly psychology, clearly criminology and justice studies, geography, anthropology, urban studies and planning, social work and environmental studies,” Searcy said. “These are all elements so it鈥檚 interdisciplinary, and it鈥檚 important because it reflects all those elements.”</p>
<p>快活林性息’s location in Los Angeles has provided access to many hip-hop pioneers who have come to campus for discussions or met with students, staff, faculty and alumni via online meeting platforms like Zoom. CIPHER has co-sponsored events that were led by professor of Africana Studies Cedric Hackett, who brought special appearances including director and writer Chris Martin, perhaps best known as Play from the group Kid N Play, and Universal Hip-Hop Museum board member Marq “DJ CLI-N-TEL” Hawkins.</p>
<p>“We have the ability with this newest art form to be able to actually interview the creators, so like Melle Mel was one of the creators. I want to be able to share that, ‘Look, this is living history.’ This isn鈥檛 3,000 years ago. You don鈥檛 have to do a physical excavation,” Searcy said. “We鈥檙e doing a living excavation of this history. We very rarely, typically in academic settings, have the ability to engage in such a way.”</p>
<p>The evening with Melle Mel was also hosted by 快活林性息 visiting scholar, radio personality, show producer and hip-hop journalist Skyy Hook. Hook teaches an anthropology class at 快活林性息 called Expressive Culture, but she specified the class name is “Bridging the Generational Gap in Hip-Hop”. It educates students on the expressive culture of subjects like music, clothing, visual art or food.</p>
<p>快活林性息 student and former CIPHER teaching assistant, Malik Campbell, says he has grown and learned from being a part of the center and from listening to the pioneering rappers who have visited the university.</p>
<p>“I’ve had the opportunity to hear multiple legends of hip hop speak. Their stories not only provided insight into their creative processes, but also how their lives framed their journeys in music,” he said. “These artists spoke largely on the culture(s) surrounding their philosophies; and verbalized those experiences into wisdom that students of all ages can utilize. The students, myself included, oftentimes leave with insight and/or inspiration that may have been lacking beforehand,” Campbell said.</p>
<p>Dean Searcy is excited about holding a CIPHER Symposium event on April 21, 2023 at the Soraya Performing Arts Center. The symposium is in celebration of hip-hop reaching 50 years. They are partnering with the GR818ers, a group of artists, activists and athletes representing the San Fernando Valley. Competitions of hip-hop dance styles such as b-boying and b-girling will be featured, as well as a DJ and graffiti demonstrations. There will be food trucks, live music and opportunities for all to participate. It is open and free to the public.</p>
<p>Hook will be moderating a panel discussion at the symposium at 11:00 a.m. which features hip-hop personalities and DJs such as DJ Revolution, Bishop Lamont, Money B, Troy Shelton and Adrian Miller. At 1:00 p.m., Hook will then interview Sway Calloway, an American journalist, radio personality, executive producer and former rapper, best known from his current work as host of Sway in the Morning on Sirius XM’s Shade45 radio station and his work as an MTV personality.</p>
<p>For more information or to register for the CIPHER Symposium, visit the <a href=" of Social and Behavioral Sciences website.</a></p>
As he made his way to the front of the lecture hall, Melle Mel screamed and brought the audience to...