Temple University to teach class about Kendrick Lamar

Temple University reveals new class about Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar, one of the most critically acclaimed and culturally impactful artists of the 21st century, is officially making his way into the classroom — again. But this time, it’s more than a passing lecture or seminar segment. It’s an entire college course built around his art, legacy, and influence on the Black experience in America.

Beginning in Fall 2025, Temple University will offer a new course titled “Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D City.” It will be taught by Professor Timothy Welbeck, a scholar, attorney, and the current Director for the Center for Anti-Racism at Temple. He also serves as a professor in the Department of Africology and African American Studies, where the course will be housed.

For students, hip-hop heads, and cultural critics alike, this is more than an elective — it’s a rare academic deep dive into one of modern music’s most significant minds.

A Course Rooted in Culture and Context

The course’s title nods directly to Lamar’s major-label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, which dropped in 2012 and quickly became a cultural touchstone. The album fused raw lyricism, storytelling, and social commentary to paint a vivid portrait of growing up in Compton, one of the most infamous cities in America’s urban history.

Professor Welbeck told NBC10 Philadelphia that the course will focus not only on Kendrick’s music but the socio-political dynamics that shaped both the artist and the region he hails from.

“Kendrick Lamar is one of the defining voices of his generation, and in many ways, both his art and life is reflective of the Black experience in many telling ways,” Welbeck said in the NBC10 interview. “Being able to discuss his art in the environment that helps lead him into being the man that he is… can also talk about the journey towards self-actualization particularly as it is related to the Black experience.”

This is an academic approach that blends literary analysis, urban studies, Black studies, and cultural criticism into one powerful course offering.

Not Welbeck’s First Time Merging Hip-Hop and Academia

Welbeck is no stranger to hip-hop as a scholarly subject. He previously taught a course centered on Tupac Shakur, another artist whose life and legacy transcend music and extend into the realms of activism, identity, and Black consciousness.

And Temple University itself has embraced hip-hop’s academic relevance. Courses on Jay-Z and Beyoncé have also been offered, showcasing how the university has become a leader in fusing pop culture and intellectual exploration.

In each case, the goal has been consistent: to use music as a lens to view structural inequalities, racial identity, capitalism, politics, and personal evolution.

Why Kendrick Lamar Is the Perfect Subject for a College Course

Over the past decade, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth has built one of the most decorated and deeply respected careers in hip-hop. His resume includes:

• 17 Grammy Awards
• A Pulitzer Prize for Music (2018) for DAMN.
• A string of classic albums: Section.80, good kid, m.A.A.d city, To Pimp a Butterfly, DAMN., and Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
• Global tours and cultural collaborations
• Thought leadership on issues of race, mental health, community trauma, and faith

Unlike many of his peers, Kendrick’s discography is carefully constructed, dense with meaning, and designed to spark conversation and introspection. In other words, his music is made for the classroom.

The Educational Value of “Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D City”

So, what exactly will students be learning?

According to Welbeck, the course will cover:

• Kendrick’s lyrical content and thematic structure
• Urban policies and their impacts on Compton
• Systemic racism, policing, and socioeconomic challenges
• Black identity, masculinity, and trauma
• The intersection of hip-hop and self-actualization

This multidisciplinary approach allows students to explore Kendrick’s music as a form of social documentation, combining elements of history, political theory, literature, and sociology.

And yes, students will likely be doing more than just listening to good kid, m.A.A.d city on repeat.

Kendrick’s Banner Year in 2025 Adds Momentum

The timing of this course couldn’t be more relevant.

In 2025 alone, Kendrick has:

• Swept the Grammys, winning every category in which he was nominated
• Wrapped the North American leg of the Grand National Tour with SZA — now the highest-grossing co-headlining tour in music history
• Maintained cultural dominance through impactful performances, visual storytelling, and critically acclaimed music videos

This makes Kendrick not only a relevant artist but arguably the most influential voice in Black music and social commentary today.

Welbeck’s class provides students with a timely opportunity to unpack his success through an academic lens.

Hip-Hop in Higher Education: A Growing Trend

Temple isn’t the only university acknowledging the cultural power of hip-hop.

In recent years:

• Harvard established the Hip-Hop Archive & Research Institute
• USC launched a minor in Hip-Hop, Urban Youth and the Arts
• Georgia State offers a course titled “Hip-Hop America”

But courses like Welbeck’s go deeper. They don’t just study hip-hop as music — they use it as a portal into deeper socio-political truths.

And Kendrick Lamar, with his grounding in jazz, philosophy, and street life, fits perfectly into that mold.

Limited Spots, High Demand

Welbeck has noted that demand for the course is already high. Spots are limited, and the class is expected to fill up quickly ahead of the fall semester.

This speaks volumes not just about Kendrick’s reach, but about how hungry students are for deeper cultural education— especially education that mirrors their lived experience or the world around them.

For many young people, Kendrick’s music already served as an informal textbook. Now, they’ll have a chance to explore it with structure, scholarship, and critical dialogue.

Kendrick’s Legacy Goes Beyond Music

In a world where hip-hop is often reduced to its headlines, streaming numbers, or celebrity drama, courses like “Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D City” restore the genre’s intellectual respect.

Kendrick Lamar is more than an entertainer — he’s a chronicler of Black life, a storyteller of struggle and hope, and a mirror to American society.

Thanks to Professor Timothy Welbeck and Temple University, the next generation of students will have the opportunity to analyze that impact in full, right in the classroom.