Conscious Rap Music as a Reflection of Life for African Americans

Jordan Fowler

Since its inception in the 1970s in the Bronx, New York, rap music has been a form of expression that allow people to connect to the reality they are be facing. The uproar from African Americans about racism and police brutality since rap’s inception has affected the lyrics and content in which rappers use. Historically, African Americans have faced these obstacles, which has allowed them to express their views in a creative art form. These issues have reinvigorated a sense of pride, unity, and respect among individuals in the black community. They have led to rappers to be more invested in creating content that brings awareness to the issues many African Americans face. The issues in question has allowed rappers to create multiple subgenres of rap music including conscious and political. This thesis will explain how conscious and political rap music are reflections of reality for African Americans. A content analysis of the albums Edutainment by rap group Boogie Down Productions (focused on mainly on KRS-One) and ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ by Joey Bada$$ will be the method used to explore the phenomenon. This thesis explores the key themes in the albums regarding African American life in the United States.

• Jordan Fowler is currently a senior sociology major minoring in nonprofit management. He is from Spartanburg, South Carolina and a graduate of Dorman High School. His experiences include working as a resident assistant, volunteering as a Student Support Services Ambassador on campus and being a youth tutor and mentor through his fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.