We're in this Self-Made Hellbox: Accountability and Norm Citation in Pittsburgh's Rap Music Industry

• In Event: 390 - Section on Race, Gender and Class Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 06. Race, Gender, and Class: Media and Controlling Images

Abstract

Aspiring artists in the rap music industry make many decisions about things like their style of music, content, and aesthetic, among many other things, that face scrutiny from their peers, fans, and potential employers. In this paper, I analyze how aspiring artists in Pittsburgh’s underground rap music scene hold themselves and others accountable for how they “do hip-hop.” I draw on the recent conceptual clarification of accountability presented by Hollander (2013) along with Butler’s (1993) concept of normative citation to describe the social mechanisms and power dynamics responsible for producing a set of subjects and practices in the rap music industry. For individuals attempting to make a career in this industry, they must rely on the expectations of norms related to the “proper” way of “doing hip-hop.” This involves them feeling like they are in a “self-made hellbox” as they feel forced to cite norms while desiring to change them. These norms often rely on notions of “keeping it real” and authenticity, but my respondents suggest that the meanings of these terms differ from those described in previous research.

Author

• Jeffrey Michael Tienes, University of Pittsburgh