I Got Something to Say: Gender, Race, and Social Consciousness in Rap Music

I Got Something to Say: Gender, Race, and Social Consciousness in Rap Music
ISBN-10
331990454X
ISBN-13
9783319904542
Category
Social Science
Pages
240
Language
English
Published
2018-07-11
Publisher
Springer
Author
Matthew Oware

Description

What do millennial rappers in the United States say in their music? This timely and compelling book answers this question by decoding the lyrics of over 700 songs from contemporary rap artists. Using innovative research techniques, Matthew Oware reveals how emcees perpetuate and challenge gendered and racialized constructions of masculinity, femininity, and sexuality. Male and female artists litter their rhymes with misogynistic and violent imagery. However, men also express a full range of emotions, from arrogance to vulnerability, conveying a more complex manhood than previously acknowledged. Women emphatically state their desires while embracing a more feminist approach. Even LGBTQ artists stake their claim and express their sexuality without fear. Finally, in the age of Black Lives Matter and the presidency of Donald J. Trump, emcees forcefully politicize their music. Although complicated and contradictory in many ways, rap remains a powerful medium for social commentary.

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