Born out of the pain and anger in Black American communities, rap music struck a similar chord throughout Europe, as immigrants struggle to retain their ethnic identities on the margins of society.
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Articles on Rap music
Displaying 21 - 40 of 85 articles
Hip hop’s swaggering braggadocio acts as a counterpoint to the Roy family’s rarefied worlds of high finance and plutocratic untouchability.
From Tupac to Jay-Z, many a rap artist has set pen to paper to pay homage to the women who gave them birth.
Research shows that policing music and musicians often criminalises or marginalises young people, particularly young people of colour.
Once considered a novelty in school, hip-hop has spawned an array of educational programs and initiatives that are reshaping the way educators teach and how students learn.
As the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop, a scholar of the culture and its musical genres explores the meaning of the word ‘dope.’
With their back catalogue finally being made available on streaming services, a new generation of rap lovers will get to enjoy their groundbreaking work.
50 Cent possessed the authenticity so important to hip-hop. He wasn’t just posturing about the ‘gangsta’ lifestyle – he had lived it.
Trugoy the Dove was instrumental in shaping a type of hip-hop that was more experimental and sensitive.
A cold-blooded shooting is a common trope in gangsta rap - but a disturbing new development in South African hip-hop.
Stormzy’s new album contains some deeply personal reflections on faith.
The death of popular rapper Takeoff underscores a uniquely American problem – gun violence.
Ronald Reagan may have been known as ‘The Great Communicator,’ but rap artists don’t view his legacy through such rose-colored glasses. A professor of Black studies and history takes a closer look.
Is it unfair to make money from works that borrow from copyrighted work?
Controversial South African band Die Antwoord illustrates the power relations that make cultural appropriation and blackface so damaging.
A hip-hop artist and scholar says that while rap stresses the oral tradition, the music is also rife with references to a rich range of literature that spans the globe.
Several rap songs speak on the subject of abortion from the perspective of the unborn child.
Since rap music emerged in mainstream culture in the late 1980s, politicians have derided its lyrics and imagery as violent. Over the years, rap has become an easy target to blame for violence.
Since rap music emerged in mainstream culture in the late 1980s, conservatives have derided its lyrics and imagery as violent. But hip-hop artists argue those images reflect urban realities.
Synik’s new album continues to shape identity and consciousness in a country with limited freedom of speech.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Hip-Hop, University of Virginia
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Research Lead at Rhythm Obscura / Lecturer in the School of Art, Design and Architecture, University of Plymouth
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Assistant Professor of Practice, Mills College
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Associate Professor of Africana Philosophies of Religions and American Religious Diversity, San Diego State University
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Teaching Assistant Professor of Musicology, West Virginia University
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Associate Professor of American Culture, University of Michigan
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Piano Performance Fellow, The University of Queensland
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Assistant Professor of European Studies, University of Florida
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Professor of Music, Wesleyan University
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Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, The University of Queensland
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Honorary Research Fellow, University of Technology Sydney
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Assistant Professor, Hong Kong Baptist University
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Professor of History and Founding Director, Center for the Study of Popular Music, University of Connecticut
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Professor of Social Work, Texas State University
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Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology and Musicology, University of Oregon
