Bun B Talks His Hip Hip & Religion Class At Rice University

Bun B had just finished co-teaching “Religious Studies 331: Religion and Hip-Hop Culture” to 250 students as part of a curricular initiative known as Houston Enriches Rice Education (H.E.R.E.) when he took time out to speak to local media. 

“My parents wanted to make sure I had a spiritual background before I got out into this world,” Bun told the Houston Press. I was certain that I was capable of conveying hip-hop. I wasn’t sure of how the argument was going to relate to religion. But once Dr. Pinn gave me his definition of religion within the context of the course, it made more sense.”

“We’re not talking about hip-hop and religion being the same,” he continued. “We’re showing instances where hip-hop and religion have the same goals and ideology in common within the context of the culture. Of course, this doesn’t relate to everything that hip-hop is, because everything that hip-hop is isn’t necessarily religious.”

The Dr. Pinn Bun mentioned is the man who heads up the H.E.R.E. program, and thinks quite highly of the UGK emcee.

“Not only is he a tremendous figure in hip-hop culture,” says Dr. Pinn, “he’s such a deep and thoughtful thinker. In addition to the skills and talents he brings in terms of deep thoughts and his status within the hip-hop culture, we just had quite a connection.”  The two had established a rapport after Bun gave a guest lecture in his class two years ago. “I knew I would be cheating myself and my students if we didn’t figure out a way for him to have fuller engagement,” Pinn added.