Ten-Week Course Helps Students Understand the Roots of Rap Culture
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, April 29, 2009 — The Institute of Production & Recording (IPR) is pleased to announce that its Hip-Hop Essentials class is now being offered to its students as a regular elective. The class helps students develop a further understanding of the business of hip-hop distribution, sales, promotion and marketing. Running since 2006, the course is now in full swing in conjunction with the highly acclaimed independent hip-hop label, Rhymesayers.
A 10-week boot camp that’s an intense exploration of rap culture and recording production, Hip-Hop Essentials uses song production, lyric writing and the history of B-boy culture, graffiti, break dancing, urban appeal and performance to put modern hip-hop culture into perspective. Under the expertise of artists and staff from the Rhymesayers label, students are able to build, mix and remix their own songs and records.
“Rhymesayers is one of the most respected independent hip-hop labels in the country,” says IPR Music and Entertainment Business Program Chair, Eric Trelstad. “Kevin Beacham [product manager, Rhymesayers Entertainment] and his crew’s real-world experience in the music and entertainment business will help blur the line between music and media production, and will help to instill how branding and connecting with customers on a global scale is crucial no matter what their career path.”
Each class session will be under the guidance of one of Rhymesayers’ many talents. These include such local and national sensations as Brother Ali, Slug and Ant of Atmosphere, Plain Ole Bill, P.O.S and Rhymesayers’ CEO Brent “Siddiq” Sayers. Artists will help students develop deeper production skills, comprehend the basics of what makes a hip-hop record, and gain a working knowledge of the urban music community.
“Rhymesayers is a company rooted in hands-on training,” explains Beacham. “The artists as well as the staff have the common attribute of building the Rhymesayers brand by pursuing and immersing ourselves in our passion for music and hip-hop culture. It’s our belief that this is a primary goal shared by the students at IPR. In the changing climate of the music industry it’s important for aspiring artists to be well-rounded in their knowledge of the business in order to be prepared. We feel that IPR offers a well-balanced experience in the various aspects of the business to help create the success stories of tomorrow.”
About IPR
Integrating a liberal arts education with business and technical training expertise, The Institute of Production & Recording provides a learning environment that reflects today’s evolving entertainment industry. Its classrooms invite active discussions, creative problem solving, and presents an open forum for the exchange of new methods and ideas. Encouraging creativity and recognizing achievement, IPR assists its students in reaching their career goals in music, multimedia production, audio recording and music business. IPR is based in Minneapolis, MN. For further information, visit www.ipr.edu.
