Jay Z, Kanye West friendship examined in University Of Missouri Course

Mizzou, you crazy for this one. The University Of Missouri's English department is offering a class that takes a critical look at the friendship of Kanye West and Jay Z.

The course (simply titled "Jay Z and Kanye West") will take on the subject with three questions in mind, according to Consequence of Sound:

"(1) Where do they fit within, and how do they change, the history of hip-hop music?; (2) How is what they do similar to and different from what poets do?, and (3) How does their rise to both celebrity and corporate power alter what we understand as the American dream?" 

Apparently, on top of the typical works that teach students how to analyze poetry, course attendees will read Jay's Decoded and several critical hip-hop works.

"I really do think that these guys are warming up to the level of major poets, and not many people think of it in those terms," instructor Andrew Hoberek told CoS. "Because it's not just on a page, but it's video art, too. So, we looked at how those complicated the questions, and how do books about poetry help us to understand rap with Jay and Kanye at the forefront. We looked at the larger history of rap as an art form. Specifically, how, especially with Blueprint 3 and Yeezus, there's an identifiable push to get beyond what's happening in the art form. They're very much like painters and novelists in the 20th century, moving beyond the confines of the art form's boundaries."  

Dude thinks Blueprint 3 is a work of art. Not sure I'd want to take a class from him. But the friendship of Jigga and Yeezy not only brought us this:

but this:

and, of course, this:

...so it is definitely worthy of consideration in a critical context.

However, if Hobereck doesn't start the first session off by saying, "Thanks for coming out tonight. You could've been anywhere in the world, but you're here with me. I appreciate that" then he has failed.