Homophobic Stereotypes In Rap Music

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Jay-Z’s lyrics shows that even though he now has riches, his friends are still important and they should take advantage of his success (29). This theme is prevalent throughout a majority of the lyrics analyzed and continues to show a message that rappers are about more than the commodified images displayed within the music industry. Lastly, Oware discusses the lost of a friend and the sadness expressed within the lyrics of artists (29). This vulnerability is a stark contrast to the hyper masculinity that is often associated with rap and hip hop music. Despite the bad man trope associated with rap music, rappers display vulnerability within their lyrics, display affection for their male counterparts, and provide for their “homies”. These themes show that some rappers directly reject the homophobic stereotype within their lyrics and their authentic lifestyles. …show more content…

The author suggests that the positive themes are not in the forefront of rap because the primary consumers of gangsta rap aren’t minorities, but white males (32). The white male generally associates masculinity with homophobia, misogyny, and violence, therefore if the primary consumer are demanding these themes within music, rappers must abide by this to not get dropped by record labels (32). White males associate black males with less desirable attributes and expect those attributes to be displayed within their music (33). With that being said, society’s dialogue should not just criticize the dialogues within rap music, but the detrimental aspects of popular culture that are a driving force within the industry (34). Rap should be allowed to explore the more vulnerable aspects of black masculinity and transgress the hegemonic masculinity generally thought of

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