A conversation between Dr. Michael Hill (UI English and African American Studies) and Andre Perry. From the moment that it appeared, rap music focused on money. Many commentators used this preoccupation to suggest a moral failing in the music. Touching on recordings from four decades, Michael Hill shows that while bling dominated mainstream perceptions of the art form, rappers themselves were conflicted about riches. He argues that rap's varied portraits of cash constitute a meditation on civic options in post-civil rights era America.

This cosponsored event is part of the Obermann Conversations series and the ICPL "Music is the Word" series welcoming the University of Iowa School of Music to downtown Iowa City.

Recorded November 16, 2015.