"Don't Believe the Hype": The Construction and Export of African American Images in Hip-Hop Culture.
Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Communication, Professional
Date of Award
5-2006
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Amber E. Kinser
Committee Members
John D. Morefield, Primus Tillman
Abstract
This study examines recurring motifs and personas in hip-hop.
Interviews with influential hip-hop scholars, writers and music industry personnel were conducted and analyzed using qualitative methods. Interview subjects were selected based on their insider knowledge as music critics, hip-hop scholars, ethnomusicologists, publicists, and music industry positions.
The vast majority of constructed imagery in hip-hop is based on a single persona, the gangsta. This qualitative analysis reveals why gangsta personas and motifs have become the de facto imagery of hip-hop. Gangsta imagery is repeatedly presented because it sells, it is the most readily-available role, and because of music industry pressures.
This study is significant because gangsta imagery impacts African American social knowledge and the generalized perception of blackness. Gangsta imagery has also served to alienate black culture and has caused rifts in the African American community.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Sewell, John Ike Jr., ""Don't Believe the Hype": The Construction and Export of African American Images in Hip-Hop Culture." (2006). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2193. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2193
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.