New York University Presents: Show and Prove 2012

The Tensions, Contradictions, and Possibilities of Hip Hop Studies

March 30th-April 1, 2012

Themes: Intersectionality & Methodology

Co-Sponsored by the Performance Studies Department at Tisch School of
the Arts, the Center for Multicultural Education and Programs, LGBTQ
Student Center, and the Hip-Hop Education Center

We are in a moment ripe with possibilities to think in concrete terms
about what Hip Hop Studies is and what it means to do this work. As a
result of the 2010 Show & Prove Conference that brought scholars and
practitioners to NYU, we continue to consider what is at stake as the
academy’s increasing adoption of Hip Hop into its curriculum leads to
a mutual adaptation. Such stakes affect every aspect of our work,
including the methods we use, the people we recognize and attempt to
represent, and the audiences we engage—global and local, on-the-ground
and in the academy. Additionally, a challenge for Hip Hop scholars is
to take seriously Hip Hop’s own creative, theoretical, and political
imperatives while bringing critical perspectives to the very cultures
we seek to understand. Show and Prove 2012 (S&P 2012) provides an
opportunity for a community of scholars to come together and address
the challenges and possibilities of the field.

S&P 2012 will sharpen our focus on two key themes: intersectionality
and methodology. On their own, they represent pressing categories of
analysis within Hip Hop Studies, and shed light on often overlooked
aspects of its cultures. Taken together, they also inform each other
in important ways. For example, intersectionality can reveal the
limitations of certain methods. Conversely, while our methodological
training masks its own intersections of power, non-traditional methods
that are often necessary for research on Hip Hop can add to our
understanding of intersectionality. S&P 2012 is an opportunity to
delve further into these areas and others in a collective effort to
shape Hip Hop Studies.

Key questions include:

· How can we utilize Hip Hop Studies to interrogate the changing
cultural landscape?

· How can Hip Hop Studies shape our understanding of
intersectionality?

· What kinds of gendered and sexual spaces does Hip Hop produce?

· In what ways are subcultures within Hip Hop (i.e. Queer
Hip-Hop, Christian Hip Hop, etc.) (mis)recognized both inside and
outside the academy?

· How do Hip Hop feminism and Queer Hip Hop movements activate
critical discourses?

· What are the ethics of engaging Hip Hop communities across
disciplines?

· How can we be accountable to Hip Hop cultural imperatives?

· What are best practices for implementing Hip Hop Studies?

· What are the possibilities for Hip Hop studies in the academy?

**Selected papers will be invited to participate in a writing workshop
held during the conference.**

Please submit a 200 word abstract and relevant contact information by
midnight EST, October 15, 2011. Panel proposals will be considered.
We are also accepting short films (5-30 min.). To submit a film,
e-mail a 200-word synopsis and write “FILM SUBMISSION: Title of the
Film” in the subject line. If accepted, evidence of self-production
or copyright must be supplied. All submissions should be sent to
cmep@nyu.edu. Contact Dr. Imani Kai Johnson at ikj200@nyu.edu or Dr.
Marcella Runell Hall at marcella@nyu.edu/212-998-4350 with any
questions.