Starting Fall 2025, Temple University students will have the chance to study the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper in a new course called Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D City. The course is a serious deep dive into one of hip-hop’s most influential storytellers, taught by someone who knows the culture inside and out.
The course will be led by Professor Timothy Welbeck, a familiar face at Temple who’s been teaching Africology and African American Studies for 14 years. Welbeck is also the Director of the Center for Anti-Racism and has previously taught courses on Tupac, urban Black politics, and the intersections of hip-hop and Black culture.
“Kendrick Lamar is one of the defining voices of his generation,” Welbeck said in an interview with NBC10. “His art and life reflect the Black experience in powerful and telling ways.”
From good kid, m.A.A.d city to Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar has never shied away from confronting trauma, race, faith, and society’s contradictions. That’s exactly what makes him the perfect subject for academic study, according to Welbeck, who’s been using Lamar’s work in his classes for over a decade. Now, he’s finally giving the Compton lyricist a course all his own.
The class will explore Lamar’s artistic evolution, his role in reshaping modern hip-hop, and the broader socio-political themes embedded in his work. And yes, students will be vibing to at least three or four of his albums as part of the curriculum.
But it won’t stop at just listening parties. Welbeck is also planning to bring in guest speakers from the music industry, including people who’ve worked with Lamar, to give students a front-row look at his creative process and impact.
Without giving too much away, Welbeck teased that the course will also examine the historical and policy-driven context of Compton, and how urban shifts helped shape Lamar’s narrative voice. It’s not just about bars and beats—it’s about how environment shapes expression, and how hip-hop can be a tool for self-actualization.
Lamar now joins an elite lineup of artists who’ve had entire courses built around them at Temple—including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Tupac. But for Welbeck, Lamar brings something unique to the table.
“His stature and impact make him ripe for this kind of study,” he said. “This course is about using his work to better understand hip-hop, the Black experience, and how art helps us process our world.”
Enrollment for Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D City is already open, but spots are limited.
