Temple to Offer Kendrick Lamar Course Fall 2025

Temple University will launch a new course in Fall 2025 titled 'Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D City,' taught by Professor Timothy Welbeck. The course will analyze Kendrick Lamar's life, music, and cultural impact through Afrocentric and sociocultural perspectives, with a focus on themes such as Black identity, marginalization, self-actualization, and the effects of urban policy and socioeconomic factors in his hometown of Compton. Guest speakers who have collaborated with Lamar will provide students with direct industry insights. This course aligns with a growing academic movement to recognize hip-hop as a form of art, literature, and activism, continuing Temple’s and other universities’ exploration of artists like Jay-Z and Beyoncé. The curriculum aims to highlight hip-hop’s significance in storytelling, cultural commentary, and protest, especially regarding the contemporary Black experience. Kendrick Lamar’s academic study comes as national discussions about race, identity, and cultural preservation intensify.