Can't Stop Won't Stop (Young Adult Edition): A Hip-Hop History

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the book over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Many people misunderstand the genre of hip-hop or do not know its history and objectives.

• What are some misconceptions surrounding hip-hop, and how does Can’t Stop Won’t Stop combat these stereotypes? (topic sentence)
• Examine at least three misconceptions about hip-hop and how these misconceptions are challenged by Black artists. Be specific in what actions they take, the messages they communicate, and how they communicate them.
• Conclude with some thoughts about how hip-hop could improve racial discrimination and stereotyping in the future.

2. Chang tracks four major periods in hip-hop since its beginning in the late 1960s up to 2020.

• In the post-Trump, post-COVID, and post-George Floyd era, how do you think hip-hop will continue to evolve, and what significance does hip-hop have in shaping the future of the United States? (topic sentence)
• Outline the four periods, each in its own paragraph. Describe the fundamental features of each period and conclude each paragraph with the biggest changes that ended the period and brought on the next.
• Taking either an objective or subjective approach, conclude with some ideas on the future of hip-hop in America.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Hip-hop has served as a form of expression about political issues faced by Black people in America. What are these issues, and how has hip-hop helped Black people to develop their voice and establish their place in mainstream American society? Develop your argument using support from the text.

2. How was the development of hip-hop in New York and Los Angeles similar, and how was it different? Which key influences shaped each scene’s unique unfolding? Support your argument with quotes and other textual evidence.

3. What are the major barriers faced by women in hip-hop, and how have female hip-hop artists overcome these barriers? Include examples from the text as well as your own examples. Compare female hip-hop in the 80s and 90s to today. Have the challenges remained the same? Have they changed? Consider researching modern feminism theory to strengthen your discussion.