Context Hip-hop music has become a global phenomenon that has transcended cultural boundaries as well as generational lines. The city of St. Louis has a very particular and interesting position within the realm of the hip-hop music industry and within the city there exists a wide range of hip-hop listeners, as well as various local hip-hop artists. Together, these various groups create an eclectic hip-hop community in the city. The members of the hip-hop community in St. Louis come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, as well as different parts of the city itself. Because of the diverse elements of this community, the ways in which meanings behind hip-hop music are made and maintained are varied. My overall goal is to trace the ways in which authenticity and meanings are created within this flourishing community through participant observation and conversations with individuals who regularly listen to hip-hop music. My aim is to not only understand how artists are viewed as authentic, but to analyze what makes an audience member authentic as well. …show more content…
As many genres of music are up for interpretation by the listener, hip-hop is no exception to the rule. At its root, hip-hop, or rap music, is the voice of the subaltern, a voice for people that were actively living in urban poverty and felt that their voices were not being heard by greater society. Today’s hip-hop goes beyond the voices of the subaltern and has expanded into the wide abyss of consumerism and mainstream media. Hip-hop is no longer just a subculture, it is a sensation. While the socially conscious origins of hip-hop are still in practice, the genre has expanded to meet capitalist-oriented