Hip Hop Lit 9+

In memoriam: Nikki Giovanni, 1943 – 2024. It was an honor to picture her and develop Hip Hop Lit—one of the last visual art projects featuring the legend. Rest in peace.

Welcome to Hip Hop Literature in Augmented Reality!

This AR app contains introductory lectures from the course "Black American Literature," taught by a digital hologram of Dr. Tyechia Thompson, an assistant professor in the Department of English at Virginia Tech.

This course explores some key aesthetics and some aspects of the philosophy and culture of Hip Hop. After each lesson, this course also features quizzes for Virginia Tech students to evaluate their knowledge. "The Sources" contains references made by Dr. Tyechia Thompson in this course. These AR lectures adopt new approaches to teaching and learning using technology.

Credits:

TYECHIA THOMPSON
instructor, producer

NIKITA SHOKHOV
artist in immersive video and sound, Unity developer, mobile app distributor

ANNA EVTIUGINA
producer - ipureland.art

GRIGORIY KASHTANOV
Unity developer, augmented reality and user interface programmer and designer

NIKKI GIOVANNI
guest performer

AMANDA HODES,
HARSHAL PILANIA,
SARAH HAMMER
production assistants

PARKER FORD
user interface programmer and designer

KIMBERLEY HOMER
transcripts

CRAIG ARTHUR
proof-reading

GABRIEL DESTRO
NAYHA POCHIRAJU
3D artists

RIYA PARIKH
3D scanning technologist

Supported by:
- Technology-Enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS) at Virginia Tech
- Applied Research in Immersive Experiences and Simulations program (ARIES) at Virginia Tech Libraries: Todd Ogle, Jonathan Bradley, Sarah Tucker
- DEPTHKIT: James George, Cory Allen, Timothy Scaffidi
- Innovative Technologies for Learning Environments at Virginia Tech
- Department of English at Virginia Tech
- RADA Film Group: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson
- Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT) at Virginia Tech
- 3D Scanning Studio at Virginia Tech Libraries: Max Ofsa

Music:
- Digging in the Crates: Hip Hop Studies at Virginia Tech "Beat Battle", 2019
- Nikki Giovanni and the New York Community Choir under the direction of Benny Diggs "Like a ripple on a pond", 1973

BE ADVISED!
This app requires modern, high-performance iOS devices to run smoothly.
Preferably use devices equipped with a Lidar sensor for a better AR experience.