【2013 Archives】

Kanye West has been013 Archivesthis earth for less than 40 years but there's already so much to learn from his insane life.

So much, that now there is actually is a college course at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, dedicated to unraveling the many elements behind his career as a producer, rapper and fashion designer.

According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 75 students have enrolled in the “Politics of Kanye West: Black Genius and Sonic Aesthetics" course, and many more are currently on the waitlist for the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies class.

“I always wanted to teach a course looking at black genius and the impossibility of black genius for the American public,” associate professor Dr. Jeffrey McCune told the Post-Dispatch.

“We’re always thought of as maybe being articulate or smart but not really genius," he said, before explaining the value of hip hop platforms for cultivating creativity, especially with young people.

The course will include lessons on West's public moments with Taylor Swift, listening sessions, "hip-hop's queer love languages" and more—but will not be focused on either outright condemning or praising the artist, and rather examine "politics, race, gender, sexuality and culture" through a Kanye lens.

"I knew my students had connections to Kanye," McCune explained. "They’re always referencing his music and performances and videos and fashion....What better time than now to take seriously Kanye West as a cultural icon?"

That Kanye West teddy bear would be proud.

[H/T St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

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