Annotated Bibliography

“Hip-Hop Music and the Youth” Research Project

By: Janaya Glenn

Date: Updated 10/26/19

Blair, M. E. "Commercialization of the Rap Music Youth Subculture." Journal of Popular

Culture, vol. 27, no. 3, 1993, pp. 21. ProQuest,
https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview
/195356599?accountid=10163.

In this journal, Blair decided to dive deep into the study of popular culture and
how it relates to Hip-hop music. He points out that advertisers and companies that
commercialize rap music wants it to influence popular culture or the youth. He concludes
that after many studies producers of mass culture has only a limited effect on youth
culture. According to Blair, when rap music is deliberately used to manipulate youth
culture it fails. I can conclude that commercialized rap music fails on influencing youth
culture.

Hutson, Scott R. "The Rave: Spiritual Healing in Modern Western Subcultures."

Anthropological Quarterly, vol. 73, no. 1, 2000, pp. 35-49. ProQuest,
https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview
/216478212?accountid=10163.

In this journal, Hutson explains the benefit of raves for certain subcultures. He
describes rages as events where young men and women get together to dance and let
loose. He explains that raves are a spiritual heling atmosphere in which these
subcultures get together and reject society. Raves can often be violent, and they can
involve drugs, but Hutson does not deny their spiritual healing as a cause to musical
expression. This proves my point of how healthy musical expression can be to
subcultures who reject society like the youth and rap music.

Jeffries, Michael P. "5 Grams: Crack Cocaine, Rap Music, and the War on Drugs."
Contemporary Sociology, vol. 42, no. 2, 2013, pp. 221-222. ProQuest,
https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview
/1465307620?accountid=10163,
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0094306113477381g.

This excerpt explores the connections between the rap industry and the crack
cocaine economy. Jefferies dives into Bogazianos’ belief that rap music increases drug
problems for the country and affects the youth. Bogazianos believes that rap music is
not an art that it is a social practice that has negative affect because of its birth around
the crack-cocaine epidemic. Jefferies brings in the rappers point of views which
expresses that their subjects in rap music is so violent because of how America treats
black Americans. In other words, rap replicates the world around it, it doesn’t make it no
matter how powerful their words are.

Keyes, Cheryl L. "Empowering Self, Making Choices, Creating Spaces: Black Female
Identity Via Rap Music Performance." Journal of American Folklore, vol. 113, no.
449, 2000, pp. 255-269. ProQuest,
https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview
/198467274?accountid=10163.

Keyes explores how rap is perceived as a male dominated genre that is

discriminative to women. She points out how women have helped shaped the artform of
Hip-hop. She also explains how rap music empowers females, but specifically black
females. Keyes tells about the women rapper stereotypes and how women are slowly
breaking those stereotypes while expanding the genre. She talks about how there is a
future in Hip-hop for more women who will be role-models that will help form the black
female identity.

Malin, Heather. "Arts Participation as a Context for Youth Purpose." Studies in Art
Education, vol. 56, no. 3, 2015, pp. 268-280. ProQuest,
https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview
/1675841904?accountid=10163.

In this article, Malin explains that art participation is very important for the youth
to develop their purpose in life. She surveyed several young adults to see how
participating in art has helped them develop their purpose. She found that kids that
were involved in arts grew up to be more career focused. She proves the positive effect
that music has on youth culture. This proves to me that if the youth were involved in
studying the artform rap music then they will have a focus driven future.

Tanner, Julian, Mark Asbridge, and Scot Wortley. "Listening to Rap: Cultures of Crime,
Cultures of Resistance." Social Forces, vol. 88, no. 2, 2009, pp. 693-722.
ProQuest,
https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview
/229875704?accountid=10163, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/sof.0.0271.

The authors of this excerpt dive into a study that completely explores the effect
that rap has on the youth. They base their study in a Toronto high school where most of
the students listen to rap music. They find out that teens that do listen to rap music
exhibit more deviant behavior and express more social injustices than teens that do not.
The study then goes on to break down the statistics from racial groups. They conclude
by stating that rap music has a negative effect on youth culture.

Travis, Raphael,Jr. "Rap Music and the Empowerment of Today's Youth: Evidence in
Everyday Music Listening, Music Therapy, and Commercial Rap Music: C & A C &
A." Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, vol. 30, no. 2, 2013, pp. 139-167.
 ProQuest,
https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview
/1356682637?accountid=10163, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10560-012-
0285-x.

Travis explores how rap music empowers the youth. He begins with statements
by rappers who explain that rap is a way to self-express themselves. Later, Travis
explains that sociologists' studies show that rap music is a healthy way to express
themselves. Travis encourages the youth to listen to rap music so that they can use it as
music therapy. Even commercialized music that is often very explicit, Travis encourages
the youth to listen to the music that they connect to.

Tyson, Edgar H., and Darrin Porcher. "Racial Group Comparisons of Conceptualizations
of Rap Music Constructs: A Cross-Racial Validity Study of the Rap Music Attitude
and Perception Scale." Race and Social Problems, vol. 4, no. 3-4, 2012, pp. 205-
217. ProQuest,
https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview
/1112342758?accountid=10163, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12552-012-
9078-2

This study examines if race plays a role in the view the negative and positive rap
music has. Tyson concludes that it doesn’t by using that RAP comprehensive scale. In his
study based at a college, most students shared a similar view of rap music. Some love it
while some hate it. Race does not play a factor in the view of rap music because it is no
longer primary listened to by black AMericans. Tyson points out that rap music is expression
of the oppressed and has become part of youth culture.