Hip-Hop has captured the minds of youth worldwide, spawning themes, trends, attitudes, and behaviors that are similar to but distinct from the manifestation of hip-hop in the US. This course is designed as an intellectual excursion to explore the US and global creation and consumption of hip-hop through the lens of cultural studies. The class will study processes of imitation, appropriation, translation, and customization and their impact on themes of gender, hegemony, commercialism, sexuality, race, and identity.