"If Skills Sold:" Understanding Contradictions in Rap Music
Open AccessScholarly research on rap music has produced surprisingly contradictory findings. These contradictory findings include varying opinions on the economic background of rappers, their recognition of social marginalization, their ability to unify members of the rap community, and the nature of rap music's production. I assert that these contradictions can be seen in relation to a theoretical economy, the Gangsta Rap Economy. Drawing on the work of Pierre Bourdieu, I assert that this economy involves the political, social, and structural relations and exchanges between members of the rap music industry in terms of the accumulation, consumption, and production of various forms of capital. To show these connections, I use a content analysis of the three main agents in the Gangsta Rap Economy (listeners, artists, and record executives) in relation to the career of the rapper Jay-Z.
- All rights reserved
Notice to Authors
If you are the author of this work and you have any questions about the information on this page, please use the Contact form to get in touch with us.