Murray Forman

Murray Forman in the Press

Home Is Where the Heart of Hip-Hop Is

“People like Dr. Dre and Grandmaster Flash, they’ll talk about their mom’s, dad’s, uncle’s, aunt’s record collections, that they sometimes were forbidden to touch, but they did anyway,” said Murray Forman, a media and screen studies professor at Northeastern University and the author of “The ‘Hood Comes First: Race, Space and Place in Rap and […]

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How an Israeli TikToker’s little-known song became the soundtrack to emotional wartime reunions

“Music can produce shared allegiances and feelings of unity. In times of extreme crisis, people turn to the music that they most need as an attempt to stabilize their emotions [so they can] continue and persist,” says Murray Forman, professor of Media & Screen Studies at Northeastern University in Boston.

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After charged year, Grammys inch closer to inclusion

“A lot of fans and audiences are coming into contact with new artists and forms that were on the edge of their taste palate,” said Murray Forman, a professor at Northeastern University in Boston. Forman also pointed to rising stars such as Khalid and Lil Uzi Vert, both up for Best New Artist, who came […]

An academic’s pursuit of hip-hop culture: The beat goes on

The Boston Business Journal interviewed Murray Forman, professor at Northeastern University’s College of Arts, Media and Design, about his life work and field of study in hip-hop culture.

Sound check: Hip-hop drawing academic interest in Boston and beyond

“There are so many dimensions to the culture,” said Murray Forman, a media studies professor at Northeastern University in Boston. “It’s really rich for analysis in all kinds of contexts.” Some scholars still question whether hip-hop has a place in academia, but its acceptance is growing, said Forman, who was a Nasir Jones fellow last […]

At UMass and beyond, hip-hop draws growing academic interest

“There are so many dimensions to the culture,” said Murray Forman, a media studies professor at Northeastern University. “It’s really rich for analysis in all kinds of contexts.” Some scholars still question whether hip-hop has a place in academia, but its acceptance is growing, said Forman, who was a Nasir Jones fellow last year. University […]

Who rules hip hop’s past?

Any debate about a canon is also a debate about who owns a culture. Hip-hop, in a sense, belongs to the world now, but it arose as the organic expression of a real urban community with its own concerns, identity, and values. “For aging hip-hop heads, the music, dance, and art of hip-hop literally changed […]

‘We’ve got news for you:’ Senegalese rappers tackle Syria, current events in news show

The “Journal Rappe” program shows just how innovative hip-hop artists remain in Senegal, says Murray Forman, an associate professor of media and screen studies at Northeastern University. “They’re taking it to some different place, a place we don’t commonly see hip-hop which I think is fun and exciting,” he said after watching their programs online. […]

Snoop Dogg wearing a USA shirt at a women's beach volleyball game with his arms raised in the air.

From rap royalty to Olympic icon, how Snoop Dogg is making the Paris Games his own

Snoop amuses as a commentator, serving as a contrast to the usual talking heads, said Murray Forman, a professor at Northeastern.

Collage photo of Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and J Cole all performing at their concerts.

Does the beef between Kendrick Lamar, Drake and J. Cole mean anything for rap in 2024?

The beef might be inconsequential, a hip-hop expert says, but it says something about the state of rap in 2024 that it has blown up.

Mariah Carey wearing a red dress on stage smiling with her arms outstretched.

Why ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ is still popular 30 years later

It’s a combination of the song quality and the nostalgia it invokes, say Northeastern University music experts.

A scholar of hip-hop explores Russia’s rap scene

Murray Forman, a Northeastern professor who has dedicated 25 years of his career to examining hip-hop history and culture, recently returned from Moscow, Russia, where he spent a week taking the pulse of the local hip-hop scene. He discovered that many of the elements that are commonly associated with the hip-hop culture at-large seemed to be present in the Russian capital.

What Jay-Z’s new album says about his life, hip-hop

Jay-Z’s new album reflects his transition into middle age and fatherhood, says professor Murray Forman, who has studied hip-hop culture for more than 20 years. “Jay-Z is an interesting character in all kinds of ways,” he explains. “We’ve really had the opportunity to see him come of age.”

Music, race, and the White House

Hip-hop in American culture and its connections with Barack Obama’s presidency set the stage for a thought-provoking panel discussion with experts in race, music, gender studies, pop culture, and politics.

Talking hip-hop as global medium of expression

Communication studies professor and hip-hop expert Murray Forman traveled twice to Europe over the summer to lecture on his hip-hop research and help other countries incorporate hip-hop studies into school and university curricula. At the Paris Hip-Hop Festival in June, he opened the first roundtable discussion on hip-hop with U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Rivkin. […]

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