This article presents the first survey of openly licensed digital resources in the field of hip hop studies. Drawing on the frameworks of open education (OE), open access (OA) and open educational resources (OER), the authors explore how open licensing can expand access to academic knowledge and support the democratization of university curricula. Based on a student-led, interdisciplinary and transnational research project, the contribution identifies and lists 112 openly accessible hip hop-related resources, including articles, books, videos and learning modules. The study finds that while a noteworthy number of resources are available, most are governed by restrictive licences that limit their adaptability and reuse. The authors argue that embracing more permissive open licences aligns with hip hop’s foundational values of knowledge-sharing, empowerment and participation. By mapping the current landscape of OER in Global Hip Hop Studies , this Dive in the Archive contributes to ongoing conversations about decolonization in higher education.
Aydin et al. (2025) studied this question.