Street Science 101: An Introduction to Hoodology
Panama Jackson University-Westside
Half Semester Course/Spring Semester 2005
Street Science 101: An Introduction to Hoodology
Course Syllabus
Professor: Dr. Panama D. Jackson, Ph.D., O.P.P.
Teaching Assistant: Kajuana DeLaHood, The Undisputed Champ of Great Ghetto Ideas, Creative Consultant to e-Celebrities, Co-Defendant
Class Schedule: MTWTh 1-215pm, also available by appointment on anyday except Wednesdays from 9-10pm while Kevin Hill is on, and Sundays if they bring back The Wire
Course Description: A survey course geared towards those individuals with limited to NO knowledge of inner city-type information (read: hood life) who however seem to believe that they might know a lil’ something something based on their ownership of such CD’s as 50 Cent, Nelly, or Chingy, thereby making a damn fool of themselves and inadvertently putting themselves in harm’s way. This course is not limited to white people for there are many black people who really don’t know, don’t show, or just don’t care about what goes on in the hood (read: Les Negroes from the burbs, or Nebraska)…AND NEED TO KNOW. *Course will use popular artists and movies to further the discussion and understanding.*
Course Credit: 3 Hours or Your Life
Required Readings (before class): Young Boys Incorporated: The Story of Butch Jones, B-More Careful, Iceberg Slim, any Donald Goines Novel, Crime Statistics for any major city, and anything gang-related in your local newspaper, and Our Kind of People (to see who we’re NOT talking about)
Required Viewings (On-going): First and Third Seasons of HBO’s The Wire and The Corner
Weekly Course Descriptions
Week 1: Welcome To The Hood
Topics to be Discussed: This week will focus on where the hood is in most major cities and who lives there. What also will be discussed is why you won’t go there and why you shouldn’t go there until after the class is completed, and even then why it’s a risky proposition. To quote eloquently (courtesy of Treach on “Ghetto Bastard”) “if you ain’t from the ghetto, then you wouldn’t understand the ghetto, so stay the f*ck out of the ghetto”.
Required Listening: Tupac “My Block”, Nas Illmatic, Scarface “My Block”, NWA Straight Outta Compton
(pay attention to the message, not the slang, we’ll get there)
Required Viewing: Boyz ‘N Tha Hood
Homework Assignment: Write an essay about your perception of the hood. You will be wrong.
Week 2: Conversational Slanguistics
Topics to be Discussed: Decipherization of the Gods’ terminology, dunny. The breakdown and clarification of street lingo. From guns, to drugs, to everyday conversation; learn what they’re REALLY saying and why you SHOULD know.
Required Listening: Big L “Ebonics”, any Wu-Tang album, any E-40 album, Mobb Deep The Infamous, All Diplomats Recordings (specifically Cam’ron and Juelz Santana)
Homework Assignment: Translate an entire E-40 song into Standard English, and, turn any Frank Sinatra song into a slang melage that any body from Queensbridge/Compton/Atlanta would love
Week 3: Gun Talk
Topics to be Discussed: Furthering the slang discussion, this week’s focus will be on the different types of guns that most gun-carrying individuals chose and their street nomenclature and value. From .45′s to Uzi’s, discover what your favorite gangsters favorite piece of steel is. Also to be discussed: concealability, Cop Killers, 17-round clips, banana clips, bullet proof vests (special guest lecture by 50 Cent, tentatively), and Street Sweepers
Required Listening: Pretty much any G-Unit release with special attention to 50 Cent recordings, any Mobb Deep recording
Homework Assignment: Procure a firearm and lock, load, and disarm in front of class (any casualty results in one letter grade reduction on assignment)
Week 4: Dope Game
Topics to be Discussed: A discussion on drug running, distribution, and consumption in the hood. Learn about “the dope spot.” Discuss the differences in crack and cocaine as well as how to cook the coke properly. Learn about “bricks” and “flipping birds” and “smack”. Further slang discussion as the street terms for drugs are elucidated. Quote to keep in mind: “boy is the slang for dope/girl is cocaine…”-AZ, “Boy/Girl”
Required Listening: Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt, any G-Unit release with specific attention to Tony Yayo, any T.I. release, and ESPECIALLY any and all Diplomat’s recordings (if you miss the Slang discussions, this will fall on deaf ears)
Required Viewing: The Wire, Menace II Society, King of New York, Paid in Full
Homework Assignment: Procure a kilo of cocaine, and properly cut the coke for distribution (DO NOT DISTRIBUTE! I REPEAT, DO NOT DISTRIBUTE!)
Week 5: Gangsters Make The World Go Round
Topics to be Discussed: This week’s focus will be on understanding gang life and recognizing gang symbols and terminology. Also, real vs. studio gangsters, discussion of the differences between gangs in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and in the South as a whole. Additional topic: understanding beef between rival sets, hoods, and gangs. Understanding when entering rival territory, and the Duck and Cover Principle.
Required Listening: Snoop Dogg recordings, The Game, most early Death Row recordings, Mack 10, W.C., Jay-O Felony, Eazy-E
Required Viewing: Colors, Boyz ‘N Tha Hood (if you watched it already, use it as a referene), Bangin’ In Little Rock, South Central, HBO special on Latin Kings
Homework: Join a Gang
Week 6: Code of the Streets
Topics to be Discussed: Understanding the mentality of the streets and why snitching is forbidden and what happens to snitches both in the streets and in prison. Credibility risks in the hood. Never talking to police. Copping pleas from the DA. Loyalty to your crew/hood/gang, and why this is more important than your mother. Possible guest debate: The Game vs. 50 Cent
Required Listening: Scarface “G-Code”, NWA “F*ck Tha Police”, pretty much any street oriented album, 50 Cent “Many Men”
Required Viewing: Last two episodes of Season Three of The Wire, Paid in Full, Belly, Clockers
Homework Assignment: Write a report for presentation to the class on a famous snitch, making sure to outline what HAPPENED to said snitch
Week 7: Reputation
Topics to be Discussed: How to both establish and maintain a reputation and why this is important. How your street rep can be tarnished in a matter of minutes (see Ja Rule). Living on rep alone (see Omar from The Wire).
See careers of: 50 Cent, Marion “Suge” Knight, any dude in your local projects nicknamed “Black”
Homework Assignment: Write a report on how it is possible that getting shot (AKA being a “victim” under normal circumstances) equates creating and sending your reputation to astronomical levels
Week 8: Getting Out of the Streets: Possible???
Topics to be Discussed: Is it possible to leave the streets?? Discuss why anybody would want to leave the streets and whether or not its a feasible option…for health and safety reasons.
Required Listening: 2Pac “Death Around The Corner”, “If I Die Tonight”, Mobb Deep “Cradle 2 Da Grave”, 50 Cent catalog, Kool G. Rap, Notorious B.I.G. “Suicidal Thoughts”, “Juicy”
Required Viewing: see ending of Boyz N Tha Hood, Menace II Society, South Central, The Wire, Paid in Full, Belly (umm…not really, but the point is made)
Homework Assignment: Help a Young Urban (read: black) youth get out of the game/streets and remain alive for at least 2 weeks (after that he’s on his own)
Week 9: Finals Week
Final Exam: Move to the projects/hood for a week and remain alive and manage to return on Friday at 5pm to tell about it
*Final grade is dependent upon returning the exact same way you left, to be determined by pre-hood physical examination*
We look forward to a great semester!!!
EDIT (3/3/05): Are you a Spike Lee fan?? Have you seen all of his movies?? Have you heard of the movie She Hate Me??? If so (or if not) go check out the review I did of Spike Lee’s She Hate Me over at Bolivion, and check out the other movie reviews.