AJ Calloway, former
host of BET’s 106 & Park, has been tapped by Howard University to
teach a course that explores the theoretical foundation of Hip-Hop.
The Howard alumnus
will teach the new on-line course in conjunction with history professor Elizabeth
Lewis-Clark.
The new graduate
seminar in public history will provide a theoretical foundation for Hip-Hop
and focus on a theme of urban/Hip-Hop cultural expression.
The class will
be taught online by Calloway and Lewis-Clark, but Calloway will periodically
come to campus to speak to students.
In the class, Calloway
openly discusses his views about what’s happening in the industry.
"I really
hope that one day Hip-Hop will evolve," Calloway said. "I mean, we
are the only group of people that pimp our women through music the way that
we do. I only hope that through that evolution Hip-Hop doesn’t take the same
path jazz took and become exploited to the point of disinterest, like everything
else of ours white people get their hands on."
In July 2005, Calloway
and Free officially resigned their posts as the hosts of BET’s popular show
106 & Park
, jobs they held since the show’s premier in the fall 2000.Although the circumstances
surrounding their abrupt departure were not disclosed, insiders speculated there
had been friction with upper management over a period of time.
On his last live
show, AJ revealed that his plans included opening up a restaurant in Brooklyn,
running a management company and, in previous reports, he said he was working
on a television pilot.