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Kendrick Lamar is heading back to school — not as a student, but as the centerpiece of a brand-new college course. This fall, Temple University will offer a deep dive into the Compton rapper’s work and legacy with a course titled Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D City.
The class will be led by Timothy Welbeck, a longtime professor in Temple’s Africology and African American Studies department. Known for blending hip-hop with rigorous academic analysis, Welbeck has previously taught courses on 2Pac, urban Black politics, and the role of hip-hop in shaping Black identity. Now, he’s turning his attention to one of rap’s most transformative modern figures.
“Kendrick Lamar is one of the leading voices of his generation,” Welbeck said in a recent Instagram post. “He has a keen ability to articulate various dynamics of Black life, the quest towards self-actualization, and the narrative of marginalization and rising from that.”
The course promises a comprehensive look at Lamar’s music through an Afrocentric lens — examining the social, political, and cultural forces that shaped him and his art. Students will explore how the rapper’s upbringing in Compton, California, and the urban policies impacting the community helped inform his storytelling across projects like good kid, m.A.A.d city, To Pimp a Butterfly, and DAMN..
According to Welbeck, this isn’t just a breakdown of Kendrick’s bars — it’s about tracing the lineage of Black expression and resistance. “Being able to discuss his art in the environment that helps lead him into being the man that he is… can tell you about him as an individual, but also about the journey toward self‑actualization, particularly as it is related to the Black experience,” he said.
To make things even more engaging, the course will feature guest speakers who’ve worked directly with Lamar, offering rare, behind-the-scenes insight into his creative process.
With a Pulitzer Prize, 17 Grammys, and a discography that’s reshaped the rap landscape, Kendrick has left no shortage of material for students in Philadelphia to analyze.
