Many hiphoppas labour to sustain Hiphop Kulture in their communities far from the big stages, world tours, and hit singles enjoyed by a shockingly few American hiphoppas. The creative labour of these few mega stars is calculated in billions of dollars. But for most hiphoppas, their creative labour may never get expressed in economic terms. Instead it is expressed in social capital, the production of collective and individual subjectivities, the bonds of love that build and hold communities together, and the healing of broken hearts, broken homes, and broken neighborhoods in broken cities. Hiphop Kulture is NOT a music genre, it is MUCH more, and exploring how the sharing of aesthetic resources builds community, and how situated learning plays a necessary role in cultural sustainability draws out questions that may lead to a model of community located cultural education, and a starting point for a critical pedagogy of music.

I aint going tofront, academics talking about hiphop scares me and often pisses me off. Im protective about this culture like its my own baby because its meant so much to me and my close friends. In my less angry moments I do appreciate the fact that this culture still has so much to give to the rest of the world and that the next level is what we give back. Well, we need allies in this complex world to move things forward. As Ive gotten to know Michael I consider him such an Ally and that his intent is firmly squared in empowering cats in the front lines. I also really dig the fact that he is committed to helping document the histories of those who laid the groundwork in the Edmonton scene. This is the respectful place to start.  I look forward to bearing witness to Grass roots Hiphop reclaiming its voice and being at the forefront with academics supporting their community efforts. Stephen Buddha Leafloor, Founder of the Canadian Floor Masters, Founder of Blueprintforlife.ca, Ashoka Fellow, Social Worker and an aging bboy!

Dr. Michael B. MacDonalds research into Hip Hops pedagogical ingenuity have not only led us to the grassroots of Hip Hops rich and vibrant global culture, but to the very Ethos of Hiphop. With bold examination, this exciting research stands at the forefront of contemporary post colonial Hiphop literature. Andre Hamilton aka Dre Pharoh, Executive Director Cipher5 Hiphop Academy, Temple of HipHop Canada

Acknowledgements.- Introduction: From Culture to the Production of Aesthetic Systems.- Section I: Aesthetic Systems Theory for a Critical Pedagogy of Popular Music.- Aesthetic Systems Theory: Doing Hip Hop Research Together at Cipher5.- Introduction.- Multi-Dimensional Cartography of Aesthetic Systems.- Dialogic Research: Context.- Dialogic Exchange.- Conclusions.- Aesthetic Governmentality& Subjectivation in Aesthetics Systems.- Politics of Popular Music Pedagogy: Education for Emancipation or Liberation.- The First Rule of Aesthetic Fight Club.- Aesthetic Governmentality and Aesthetic Subjectivation.- Aesthetic Biopower in Youth Practices of Subjectivation.- Critical Pedagogy of Popular Music through Aesthetic Systems.- Conclusion.- Critical Pedagogy of Aesthetics Education.- Aesthetics.- A Cultural Definition of Aesthetics.- Aesthetic Education as Art Appreciation.- Cultural Studies of Sensibility as Critical Pedagogy.- Three Topics for a Critical Pedagogy of Popular Music.-Critical Pedagogy of Listening.- Part One: From Music Education to a Critical Pedagogy for Popular Music.- Part Two: Critical Pedagogies for Music Education.- Part Three: Critical Semiotics of Listening.- Critical Pedagogy and Consciousness Raising.- Critical Listening Applied.- Conclusion.- Section II: Case Studies in Hiphop Kulture.- Hiphop Citizen: Keepin It Local.- The 118 Ave. Meetings and Hip Hop Ecology.- Neoliberalism and Cultural Erosion.- Talking Community Hip Hop.- Learning Together in a Culture Circle.- Conscientização: Application and Findings of the Culture Circle.- The Culture Circle: Towards Critical Consciousness.- Listening and Flowing Rubrics.- Conclusion: Creating Healthy Urban Culture Ecologies.- YEGH3: (Edmonton Hiphop History) as Project-Based Learning.- From Hip Hop Citizens to Hip Hop History.- Hiphop Kulture Is Engaged Arts Pedagogy.- The Black Arts Movement.- From Engaged Art Pedagogy to Project-Based Learning.- Community Knowledge: Project-Based Learning.-Community Knowledge: Microhistories.- YEGH3: Student Responses.- Conclusions.- YEGH3: Edmonton Hiphop Microhistories.- Cultural Aesthetics and Hip Hop Pedagogy.- YEGH3: Edmonton Hip-Hop History.- Microhistories.- YEGH3 Microhistories: The Beginnings of Edmonton Hip-Hop.- The 80s Hip-Hop Pioneers.- The New School.- Edmonton Today.- Cipher5 as Method for a Cultural Studies of Sensibility.- Cultural Studies of Sensibility.- Aesthetic Systems and the Culture Circle.- Cipher5: Hip Hop Conscientization and Overstanding.- An Emancipatory Book Club.- Cipher5: Method for Research and Teaching.- Cipher5 as Learning Model in Students Own Words.- Conclusions.- References.