Notes and Links to Timothy Welbeck’s Work

Timothy Welbeck, Esq., is an affiliated faculty member in the Department of Africology and African American Studies, where he previously served as an Assistant Professor of Instruction. There he teaches an array of popular courses, including a course he developed entitled Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of the m.A.A.d city. More broadly, Timothy’s scholarly work focuses on contemporary issues of racial identity in America, the intersection of racial classifications and the law in the American context, contemporary African American culture, and hip-hop as a microcosm of the Black experience. Timothy has also written several peer-reviewed journal articles including “We Have Come Into This House: The Black Church, Florida’s Stop W.O.K.E., and the Fight to Teach Black History.” He also authored “Specter of Reform: The late Sen. Arlen Specter’s Criminal Justice Reform, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and its Role in Expanding the Modern Prison Industrial Complex,” explores the impact of the infamous 1994 Crime Bill in providing the infrastructure for mass incarceration within the United States. The research, funded by the Arlen Specter Center fellowship, examines how the federalization of criminal law, pursuant to the Commerce Clause, has led to expansive growth in federal law enforcement, imprisonment, and thus setting the foundation for the modern carceral state. Timothy's article “People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths to Rhythms: Hip-Hop’s Continuation of the Enduring Tradition of African and African American Rhetorical Forms and Tropes,” examines hip-hop’s continuation of centuries-old African cultural norms and aesthetic values.

As an attorney, Timothy has long been an advocate for justice, using his legal expertise to defend society’s most vulnerable individuals, including survivors of human trafficking, survivors of police brutality, and the indigent. He has also provided crisis management, guidance, and legal counsel to churches and nonprofit organizations across the globe. In that capacity, Timothy is the Chair of the Board of Directors for The Witness Foundation, and an Advisory Board member of For the Future Organization. Timothy has also served as the Civil Rights Attorney for the Philadelphia Chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), where he defended the constitutionally protected civil rights and liberties of those who experience discrimination and harassment based on their faith, race, ethnicity, and/or national origin, particularly members of the Muslim community within Pennsylvania.

As a hip-hop artist, he has released four full length recordings, shared the stage with national and international acts (Janelle Monáe, Jidenna, EPMD, Dead Prez, and Immortal Technique), won songwriting contests (Session 1 Grand Prize in 2010 John Lennon Songwriting Contest), garnered high compliments from hip-hop legends, industry taste-makers (Sway) and record executives (VP of A&R at Def Jam, Lenny S). His latest work, entitled ‘Trane of Thought, is a live recorded hip-hop album that melds songs from his first two albums the musical style of John Coltrane.

Timothy presently serves as the Pastor of Formation and a Teaching Elder at Epiphany Church of Wilmington, bringing over twenty years of ministry experience. He fosters spiritual growth through expositional and topical preaching, community engagement, trainings, workshops and spiritual counseling. In his role, he equips Epiphany members to live out their faith practically in their communities and prepare others to do the same.

Timothy's work as an attorney and scholar has allowed him to contribute to various media outlets, such as: Axios, BBC Radio 4, CBS, CNN, The Huffington Post, NBC, The New York Times, NPR, The Philadelphia Inquirer, REVOLT TV, The Washington Post, VOX, and 900 WURD AM. He has lectured nationally and internationally at esteemed institutions like: Magdalen College of Oxford University, Georgetown University, Swarthmore College, and provided invited keynote addresses at major corporations like 1Hotels, Campbell Soup, and Merrill Lynch. As a contributing writer, Timothy has bylines in The Huffington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, WHYY, and RESPECT Magazine.

He earned his J.D. from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and his B.A. from Morehouse College, where he graduated cum laude and was awarded the Corella and Bertrand Bonner Scholarship.

Timothy finds his greatest joy and fulfillment at home with his wife and three children.

Timothy Welbeck’s Website

Video: “Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of m.A.A.d City Hiphop Course | Prof. Timothy Welbeck Explains”

Video Conversation with Georgette from XXL: “Inside the Kendrick Lamar College Course Created to Study His Lyrics and Life”

At about 2:50, Timothy highlights some “surreal moments” in his hip hop career and advocacy

At about 4:20, Timothy responds to Pete’s question about declining or rising advocacy in contemporary hip-hop

At about 6:30, Timothy reflects on the balance between a democratization of hip hop and old models of record company control

At about 9:05, Timothy talks about his reading background, including a Tim Follett read (!) and other formative works

At about 12:10, Timothy talks about being a “late bloomer” in his hip hop exposure

At about 13:25, Timothy cites Nas, Lauryn Hill, Blackstar, Outkast, The Roots as some of his favorite rappers and groups

At about 14:45, Timothy talks about friends The Remnant and how they helped him to “understand the power of [his] own voice”

At about 15:30, Timothy responds to Pete’s question about how he listen to music now that he has written about and taught classes so extensively about hip hop

At about 17:00, Timothy breaks down his process for listening to music that he will be writing/teaching about

At about 17:50, Timothy explains the different ways of ordering Kendrick Lamar’s albums/mixtapes, and expands on the class’ contours

At about 20:30, Timothy talks about the class on Kendrick Lamar’s seeds, calling it "serendipitous"

At about 23:10, Timothy talks about the class structure, including the foundation established at the beginning of the class

At about 26:30, Timothy talks about how he goes about establishing Compton as an entity in itself, while at the same time showing its similarities to other casualties of government neglect and racism

At about 28:25, Timothy talks about the "compelling" way in which Kendrick Lamar is both popularly respected and critically-acclaimed

At about 31:55, Pete and Tim discuss an early Kendrick Lamar concert

At about 32:25, Pete and Tim reflect on Kendrick Lamar’s love of Black culture and for important music legends, particularly the way in which he featured titans on To Pimp a Butterfly

At about 34:30, Tim describes the great insights

At about 36:05, Marcus J. Moore’s The Butterfly Effect and Cole Cuchna and his Dissect Podcast are shouted out by Timothy as experts on Kendrick and his work, and DJ Head as well and Curtis King are highlighted as close colleagues of Kendrick’s

At about 38:00, Timothy shares some of his favorite bars from Kendrick Lamar

At about 41:15, Pete and Timothy fanboy over Kendrick’s verse on “Nosetalgia” and Timothy gives kudos to Cole Cuchna’s breakdown of the numerology of the verse

At about 42:10, Timothy talks about a few songs that might be best representative of Kendrick Lamar’s music

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Episode 318 with Timothy Welbeck, Esq., Professor for and Creator of "Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D. City" Class at Temple University, and Devoted and Thoughtful Civil Right Advocate