Abstract
Alternative (or ‘‘underground’’) rap music proves a worthy site for applying ideas associated with Bourdieu’s field of cultural production. I examine how underground rap music blurs the boundaries of restricted and large-scale production, as represented by noncommercial and commercial rap respectively. Artists identified as ‘‘underground’’ deploy anti-corporate, politically-charged, and socially-conscious lyrics, which can be viewed as restricted production. However, these lyrical themes are relatively scarce compared to themes of misogyny and hyper-masculinity found in this sub-genre and predominately found in commercial rap. This study thus reveals that large-scale and restricted fields of production may intersect (Craig and Dubois, 2010; Elafros, 2013; Hitters and van de Kamp, 2010; Sapiro, 2010). In this case, a symbiotic relationship may exist between major record companies and underground artists (Lena, 2006; Watkins, 2005; Watts, 2012) that demands further analysis. Rappers’ habitus may inform and interact with rap music production, especially for ‘‘second-go- round’’ artists, compelling them to cooperate with commercial rap market imperatives (i.e., by using misogynistic and violent lyrics, as well as politically-oriented and socially-conscious rhymes) to maximize their appeal to both alternative rap consumers and large, mainstream record labels.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2014
Publisher Statement
2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Recommended Citation
Oware, Matthew, "(Un)conscious (popular) underground: Restricted cultural production and underground rap music" (2014). Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications. 100.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/socanth-faculty-publications/100
