Rapsody unveiled her third studio album EVE last August, securing a perfect 5.0 rating from HipHopDX in the process. The 16-track project honored several powerful black women who served as role models and inspirations for the North Carolina-bred MC, including Afeni Shakur, Nina Simone and Aaliyah.
Now, the album is being turned into an English course at both The Ohio State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On Wednesday (April 15), Rap shared an Instagram photo from UNC grad student Tyler Bunzey who revealed he was helming a course called “Black Womanist Criticism and Rapsody’s EVE.”
“I’m incredibly please to announce that I will be teaching a course at UNC this fall on Rapsody’s magnificent album ‘EVE,'” Bunzey wrote. “We will be examining the album track by track with readings and media to accompany each record.”
Rapsody was undeniably flattered and wrote in the caption, “One of the highest honors is to create art for the culture and have it taught in our educational institutions! Thank you @tbunzey at @uncchapelhill and Simone Drake at @theohiostateuniverstiy.”
According to the class description, “The course reads Rapsody’s album as emerging from a greater tradition of womanist discourse dating back to the 19th century, and the purpose of this course is to explore that history. Additionally students will look at hip-hop’ historical development to engage with albums from femme-identified hip-hoppers throughout the genre’s history.”
In a 2019 interview with HipHopDX, Rap opened up about the concept behind EVE and explained what “tomboy femininity” meant to her.
“For me, especially in a time when we see music before we hear it, a lot of people judge us on our image and our appearance,” she said. “[I want] to redefine what sexy is. People think because I’m a tomboy and I’m fully clothed, that that’s not sexy. But there’s a tomboy sexiness in that. I grew up in a time where Aaliyah was the biggest thing out and one of the sexiest things out. She wore baggy jeans. She wore big, oversized jackets. She was that tomboy femininity. So, I wanted to just talk about, you know, ‘Don’t forget this image that you see, don’t think that’s the only image.’
Interview: Rapsody On Embracing Aaliyah’s “Tomboy Femininity” For New “EVE” Album
“Being a woman and what’s sexy comes in all different forms, and it looks different in many different ways. There’s nothing wrong with showing your body, but there’s nothing wrong with being a tomboy either. There’s sexiness in that, too. To me, the best and most creative way that I could do it was to do it through Aaliyah. So, that’s why I chose her. She was one of my inspirations.”
Revisit the album below.
Rhymes 7/10 beats 3/10 at best. Was an average album. Zero replay value..She shoulda did better.
To teach an album less than 2 let alone 10 years after it’s release. Is it a classic? Did it sell well?
Why not teach a Krs One album which still stands the test of time 30 years later?
Sorry. But hey congrats to Rapsody and the professor. Bless.
How about just giving the kids a good education. I don’t care about an hip hop album. Teach the kids good English and maths. Some of the children can barely speak English.
I’m happy for the most complete female MC in the rap game today! EVE was a phenomenal album from production to lyrics.
The college students will learn a lot about African American women served to them through hip hop.
It’s a solid album but the majority of the album can be summed up in a 30 minute table talk. The tracks have little to do with their titles. Rhapsody is a solid MC but her vocals are repetitive and lack emotions that hook listeners. Lyricism alone she holds her own but artistry she is run of the mill.
Miseducation of Lauren Hill. Alright I said it
35k a year on tuition to learn about a good rap album. Make sure your thoughts on Ibtihaj are summarized in your Starbucks application.
Well done sister!