Program Coordinator of Empire State University International Education and Hip-Hop Enthusiast Anna Oravcova Explores the Rhythms of Research

Anna Oravcova, program coordinator of Empire State University International Education, Prague has always been fascinated by hip-hop music. Growing up in the 90s in the Czech Republic, she was initially drawn to the beat of the music and then became interested in the powerful messages conveyed through the songs she listened to on MTV.

“I was never good at writing rhymes, and I wasn’t much of a dancer, but I loved reading books on hip-hop history and culture,” Anna said.

Her passion for hip-hop, combined with her undergraduate studies in humanities and exposure to feminist theories, led her to choose hip-hop studies as her area of research. Anna had been involved with the local hip-hop community she discovered in her teenage years and was curious about where other young women were in this predominantly male-dominated space. This prompted her to explore gender stereotypes within the hip-hop community, specifically focusing on how women navigate the Czech rap music scene. This topic became the focus of her master's program in gender studies, and she later obtained her Ph.D. in sociology with a dissertation on the authenticity of Czech rap music.

Involvement in the European Hip-Hop Studies Network

Anna's dedication to hip-hop studies and her desire to connect with others who shared this passion drove her to become a part of the European Hip-Hop Studies Network. This network, founded in 2018 in Germany, aims to promote research on hip-hop cultures in Europe and foster respect for it within communities and among cultural and political authorities.

“The network’s idea of “Europe” refers to the continent and its people as well as its transnational and postcolonial histories and trajectories,” she said. “One of the many missions of the network is to transgress the boundaries between academia and the hip-hop community.”

In September, the European Hip-Hop Studies Network’s sixth annual meeting took place in Brno, Czech Republic, and was co-organized by Anna. The conference entitled “Beyond the West and the Rest: Hip-Hop in Scholarship and Society” hosted more than 15 European scholars and hip-hop practitioners. The topics covered included questions of theory and practice, as well as case studies from local hip-hop scenes in the Czech Republic, Italy, Estonia, Turkey, the Netherlands, and France.

“This was important because the scholarship on hip-hop in the Czech Republic is still underrepresented and understood as a niche area of studies,” she said.

Exploring Hip-Hop Culture in Academia

Empire State University’s program in Prague is unique, offering students the chance to earn the same degree as their counterparts studying in the United States. With structured programs in various fields, including psychology, business administration, communication and media, international relations, information technology, and English literature, students can choose from a range of courses tailored to their interests. 

“A handful of online courses combine students in Prague with students in the U.S. which allows for mutual engagement and a dynamic learning community,” Anna said. “We put emphasis on the Prague courses to include aspects of social justice and inclusion and deliver courses where students gain practical experiences and take their academic journey into the real world.”

As the program coordinator for SUNY Empire's Prague program, Anna has had the opportunity to teach courses that explore the intersection of hip-hop culture with topics such as race, class, gender, representation, social justice, and diversity. She also developed a course on hip-hop studies as an interdisciplinary elective, allowing students to examine the history and impact of hip-hop.

Embracing 50 Years of Hip-Hop

In addition to her role as a program coordinator, Anna is also a radio personality. For the past 13 years, she has hosted a weekly hip-hop radio show on Radio SPIN, the only hip-hop radio station in the Czech Republic. Through her show, she focuses on the history of hip-hop and political rap, providing a platform for independent hip-hop artists, especially women, from all over the world to promote their music.

As this year marks the 50^th anniversary of hip-hop culture, Anna sees how vital and integral this culture is to our contemporary globalized world.

“Hip-hop music provides commentary on the current state of affairs and that alone is worth acknowledging and exploring. We cannot talk about current popular culture without mentioning the contribution of different hip-hop elements to the development of dance, art, and music that were possible because of hip-hop culture.”