Award-winning filmmaker Byron Hurt

will be exploring controversial issues in American hip-hop culture.

Black masculinity, sexism, homophobia and violence against women

will all be discussed during his lecture on Thursday in the

University Union Ballroom.

During the lecture, Hurt will show

his two films, “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes” and “I Am a

Man: Black Masculinity in America” to reach out to his

audience.

“(The) film is very powerful,” Hurt

said. “I wanted to have an impact on young people (and a)

documentary is a way to get people to think about race, class and

gender.”

Hurt said he defines hip-hop as a

cultural art that transcends race and culture, and it includes five

elements: break dancing, graffiti art, rhyming, DJ and knowledge of

self.

Hurt also believes hip-hop is a

mixture of incredible creativity, raw expression, political

consciousness, lyrical dexterity, incredible production and

beat-making.

As hip-hop music has changed, Hurt

said he cannot connect with it anymore.

“When I was a boy, hip-hop was

underground,” Hurt said. “It was not mainstream. (Now) it is more

materialistic and has more expression of violence in explicit

ways.”

Hurt said he is less interested in

the themes of today’s music.

“Hip-hop to some people is relevant,

but it is not relevant as it used to be,” Hurt said. “I keep

hearing certain themes like how much money and women (hip-hop

artists) have.”

Despite Hurt’s lack of interest in

today’s hip-hop music, he still listens to old school and classic

hip-hop.

“I still listen to hip-hop at the

gym,” Hurt said. “I tend to listen to Dead Prez, Talib Kweli and I

recently went to a Rakim concert.”

Hurt said he is influenced by

hip-hop and although it is an old art form, there are various ways

the culture has affected society.

“I speak as a person who grew up in

the golden era of hip-hop,” Hurt said. “I was part of the culture.

I have seen hip-hop take on many different incarnations.”

The lecture will take place from

7:30 to 9 p.m. For more information visit

www.sacstateunique.com.

Jordan Riturban can be reached

at [email protected]