Jabari M. Evans, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Race and Media in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina.
His scholarship explores the intersections of hip-hop culture, digital media, race, Black youth development, civic engagement, creator economies, and media literacy. He is particularly interested in how Black youth use music, social media, and cultural production to construct identity, build community, develop critical consciousness, and navigate systems of power. Dr. Evans is the author of two books: Hip-Hop Civics: Connected Learning in the Rap Classroom, published by the University of Michigan Press in 2025, and Drill Rap, Sex Work, and the Digital Underground: (Clout)chasing on Chicago’s Southside, published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2024. Together, these books examine hip-hop as a site of education, cultural labor, political expression, identity formation, and participation in contemporary digital life. Before entering academia, Dr, Evans built a career as the recording artist Naledge and as a member of the hip-hop group Kidz in the Hall.
His 20-year experience as an artist, educator, and media professional continues to inform his research and teaching, particularly his commitment to studying hip-hop as a lived cultural practice rather than merely an academic object. His creative scholarship also includes albums, documentary work, television development, and the Uncommon Naledge podcast. Evans has presented his research nationally and internationally and has contributed to public conversations about hip-hop, Black media, youth violence, artificial intelligence, creator culture, education, and digital platforms. He is currently a Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professor in the Department of Comparative Media Studies/Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the 2026–2027 academic year. Across his scholarship and public engagement, Evans treats hip-hop as an archive of Black life, a technology of learning, and a powerful resource for civic imagination. Dr. Evans earned his PhD at Northwestern University's School of Communication.
