We Stick Out Like a Sore Thumb: Underground White Rappers’ Hegemonic Masculinity and Racial Evasion

• In Event: 289 - Regular Session. Masculinities

Abstract

Employing the concept of racial evasion—a derivation of Bonilla-Silva’s (2006) colorblind ideology theory—and hegemonic masculinity, I analyze 231 songs of underground white and non-white rappers from 2006-2010. Performing a content analysis of their lyrics, I find that white artists make fewer references to racially political and social themes (for example, racial profiling, police brutality, racist policies, etc.) than non-white artists—what I term racial evasion. Rather, by comparison, their songs contain an over-representation of misogynistic and violent lyrics (illustrating hegemonic masculinity). I speculate that white rappers’ —understanding that they operate in a predominately black and brown art form—own race plays a role in their muted discussion of race and politics. Also, I argue that they lyrically perform their gender, deploying constructions of masculinity as violent, misogynistic and homophobic in an attempt to leverage their maleness (while de-emphasizing their race) in rap music. This work demonstrates the intersection of gender and race within this popular cultural form, illustrating the manifestation of white male privilege.

Author

• Matthew Oware, DePauw University