Understanding why the graphic novel, The Graphic History of Hip Hop, is a valuable Educational Resource

As a native New Yorker who grew up on Hip Hop, loved reading random comics, and defends both genres and their impacts on the educational and societal effects on children, a graphic novel titled The Graphic History of Hip Hop that’s being pioneered as an education resource in actual schools swells my heart. 

The Graphic History of Hip Hop (Volume 1), published by The Graphic History Company, “intertwines Hip Hop’s storied history, massive global appeal, and its extensive influence on culture, politics and economics.”

Authored and illustrated by two leading figures in Afrofuturism, Walter Greason and Tim Fielder, this work is built on over six decades of research contributed by hundreds of scholars and historians from the humanities and social sciences. Designed to enrich urban and world history curricula, the book offers a dynamic tool to foster engaging and innovative learning experiences in the classroom.

Taji Mag had the esteemed pleasure of chatting with Walter and Tim about this educational gem and the importance of its release.

Taji Mag (TM): Genres like comics and video games have traditionally received a reputation for being a distraction from learning. *flashback to films and TV where kids are in classrooms holding up textbooks to hide them actually reading comics* How does The Graphic History of Hip Hop bridge comics and education?

The Graphic History of Hip Hop (TGHHH): By combining academic rigor with artistry, graphic novels present complex and difficult subjects in an entertaining way to students. No doubt Hip Hop initially was also considered a “throwaway” medium just like other forms.  But it’s proven to be a worldwide aspect of geopolitical culture. As a result, it was easy to dive in to provide a visually dynamic, yet narratively complex product. 

The Graphic History of Hip Hop was initially developed through the New York City public schools’ Civics for All Comics Group in an initiative to convey Afrocentric perspectives on history in an accessible and innovative format. From the original release of 100,000 abbreviated copies within the New York City school system to the 90-page graphic novel available now, The Graphic History of Hip Hop is the seminal marriage between the sequential comic art form and Hip Hop pedagogy. The graphic novel brings together visual artistry, music, and historical research to celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop underpinned by an in-depth analysis of the movement’s impact on Black communities and the broader culture at large.

TM: Of all the topics to use to bridge this gap, why did you choose Hip Hop?

TGHHH: Hip Hop as a genre is so entwined within Black history in the United States that you cannot teach one without understanding the other. The voices of the movement described the joys and hardships that they experienced throughout a tumultuous time in American history with such artistry that we would be remiss not to celebrate them. Beyond the United States, Hip Hop has transformed and continues to impact every aspect of culture on a global scale, from breaking down barriers in the music industry to redefining fashion, art, and public presence. Youth culture around the world embraced Hip Hop over the last three generations. Unlike religion, language, and nationality, Hip Hop culture has brought billions of people together in unprecedented ways, even in music history. Hip Hop, for better or worse, isn’t just Black culture or American culture.  It is without question world culture. The choice was easy.

TM: How have comics and Hip Hop both shaped your lives? 

Tim Fielder: Comics are a part of mass culture, just as Hip Hop is. The renegade status of artists such as Vaughn Bode and Dawud Anyabwile helped me to find my way; gave permission if you will, for how I approach my art. It truly is a perfect marriage. 

Walter Greason: I learned to read before ever seeing a comic book, but when I started to read comics, then I began to love reading. Comics fed my scientific imagination and taught me to appreciate dramatic scenery and characters in ways that made novels more accessible.

Hip Hop built on that foundation by tapping into a passion for expression that every young person has, but few can articulate without years of practice. Memorizing lyrics and dance moves pushed me to realize my biggest dreams. Rap lyrics about Black history shaped my gift and my mission to transform education.

TM: What lessons have you learned from both comics and Hip Hop that you carry with you today?  

Tim: Hip Hop has always been part of the color of my professional life.  From my days of doing early Hip Hop illustration for the Village Voice to my unpublished Marvel graphic novel Dr Dre: Man With A Cold Cold Heart, I’ve learned that life is long. If one keeps going, things tend to come full circle.

Walter: Historians as a professional oath are bound to tell the truth no matter how painful or difficult that information may be. Hip Hop taught me how to deliver an endless supply of truthful information with sensitivity, care, power, and discernment. In returning to graphic art as a mode of expression, I have been forced to grapple with the ways visual information can simultaneously inform and deceive. Understanding the construction of media at multiple levels helps me to recognize misinformation and disinformation quickly. This lesson has become more essential every day over the last decade.

TM: What do you hope readers of The Graphic History of Hip Hop will gain from this work?

The globalization of Hip Hop has served as a force for liberation in countless communities, but with this popularity comes the unfortunate reality that many who enjoy the genre today do not understand its rich history. We believe that, through this graphic novel, we can re-contextualize Hip Hop within African-American and diaspora experiences and advance its core mission of increasing social and economic communities for the masses of Black people in the United States and around the world. We also hope that our readers will understand that Hip Hop as a genre is just getting started, which is why we aren’t stopping with just one volume. 

We are proud to announce that Volume 2 of The Graphic History of Hip Hop is slated for publication in 2025 and will focus on 21st century pioneers of the art form and how the industry has developed in the cultural conversation around the world. We received a special gift with the musical battle between Kendrick Lamar and Drake earlier this year. Their visions and experiences of Hip Hop culture tap directly into the comparative analysis that we offer in Volume 2.

If you would like to see The Graphic History of Hip Hop in your classrooms or the hands of your children, visit here to purchase a copy or contact the publishers.