"They want him to donate" - Netizens react as a new course on Kendrick Lamar's life and impact is to be taught at Temple University in Fall 2025
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Kendrick Lamar (Photo: Everett Collection)Temple University in Philadelphia is set to introduce a class on rapper Kendrick Lamar's life and impact this fall. Professor Timothy Welbeck announced the course in an Instagram repost of an article by WHYY PBS shared on Monday, June 23, 2025.
Welbeck, a professor of Africology and African American Studies at Temple University, developed the course titled "Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D City." The name is a play on the Pulitzer Prize winner’s albums good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012) and Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022).
As news of the development spread, internet users were quick to react. One commented:
"They want him to donate."
Many expressed excitement at the news.
While others noted that there could be other topics or courses offered.
There were some who debated whether Kendrick's rap feud with Drake last year pushed the former artist to fame.
Professor Timothy Welbeck has used Kendrick Lamar's material while teaching over the last decade
Professor Timothy Welbeck's course will explore Kendrick Lamar's life through an "Afrocentric lens," reported WHYY PBS. This includes the socio-economic and cultural landscape in the rapper's hometown of Compton and the urban policies prevalent that helped shape the stories in Kenny's lyrics. It will also explore the evolution of West Coast hip-hop that defined his sound and storytelling. In his IG post, Welbeck wrote:
"Kendrick Lamar is one of the leading voices of his generation and has a keen ability to articulate various dynamics of black life and the quest towards self actualization and particularly also capturing the narrative of marginalization and rising from that."
Further, according to KTLA, the class will include several guest speakers who have worked with Kendrick Lamar. Notably, it would see students diving into the rapper's discography, critiquing his lyrics, sounds, and storytelling.
According to PBS, Professor Welbeck, a hip-hop artist himself, has previously taught courses exploring the musical genre like "Hip-Hop and Black Culture" and "No City for Young Men: Hip-Hop and the Narrative of Marginalization." Welbeck told the outlet that he hoped the new lectures would help students gain a deeper understanding of K.Dot's artistry and the genre itself.
He elaborated that hip-hop has "served as an outlet for youth" in urban Philadelphia to express their experiences. This included living in poverty, facing abuse, a failing school system, or even incarceration. Welbeck added that understanding "this form of expression" will better help understand the voice of the "generation."
In a separate phone interview with NBC Philadelphia, Professor Welbeck explained that his department at Temple University was "very open" to the idea of his aforementioned course. He stated:
"In a lot of ways, our department at Temple specifically, and Temple more broadly, has embraced the study of hip-hop in academic spaces."
Welbeck told the outlet that he had been developing the course for a year and had previously used Kendrick Lamar's material in his classes over the last decade. He added he hoped that his course helped students gain:
"A deeper appreciation for Lamar, hip-hop culture and how art is a muse in which to convey the components of the Black experiences."
Kendrick Lamar is currently on his Grand National Tour, alongside SZA, in support of their respective projects GNX and SOS Deluxe: Lana. They will take the stage at Glasgow and Birmingham this week.
TOPICS: Kendrick Lamar
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