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An Autoethnography of Scottish Hip-Hop: Identity, Locality, Outsiderdom and Social Commentary

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An Autoethnography of Scottish Hip-Hop: Identity, Locality, Outsiderdom and Social Commentary View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Repository@Napier An autoethnography of Scottish hip-hop: identity, locality, outsiderdom and social commentary Dave Hook A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Edinburgh Napier University, for the award of Doctor of Philosophy June 2018 Declaration This critical appraisal is the result of my own work and includes nothing that is the outcome of work done in collaboration except where specifically indicated in the text. It has not been previously submitted, in part or whole, to any university or institution for any degree, diploma, or other qualification. Signed:_________________________________________________________ Date:______5th June 2018 ________________________________________ Dave Hook BA PGCert FHEA Edinburgh i Abstract The published works that form the basis of this PhD are a selection of hip-hop songs written over a period of six years between 2010 and 2015. The lyrics for these pieces are all written by the author and performed with hip-hop group Stanley Odd. The songs have been recorded and commercially released by a number of independent record labels (Circular Records, Handsome Tramp Records and A Modern Way Recordings) with worldwide digital distribution licensed to Fine Tunes, and physical sales through Proper Music Distribution. Considering the poetics of Scottish hip-hop, the accompanying critical reflection is an autoethnographic study, focused on rap lyricism, identity and performance. The significance of the writing lies in how the pieces collectively explore notions of identity, ‘outsiderdom’, politics and society in a Scottish context. Further to this, the pieces are noteworthy in their interpretation of US hip-hop frameworks and structures, adapted and reworked through Scottish culture, dialect and perspective. Reflecting the multi-disciplinary nature of hip-hop studies, an autoethnographic framework (Monaco, 2010; Munro 2011) is combined with poetic analysis, musicological discussion and social and cultural studies to examine the pieces that comprise the published works. Through a consideration of poetics, linguistics, sociological issues and cultural considerations, a schematic emerges, describing a construct of lyrical techniques, signifying practices, social interactions and outsider narratives that speak to (re)imagining, (re)creating and (re)constructing local culture by expressing it through hip-hop and vice versa. This study demonstrates new knowledge regarding global and local intersections in Scottish hip-hop, identity construction and negotiation, and creative approaches to rap storytelling. ii Acknowledgments Thank-you to Professor Chris Atton, Dr Haftor Medbøe and Dr Justin Williams for their knowledge, support and time, given freely and with enthusiasm. Thank- you also to Professor Alistair McCleery and Sam Boyce for setting me on this path in the first place. Thank-you to Dr Anne Schwan and to Professor Fergus McNeill for giving their time and insight, both very much appreciated. Thanks to Dr Paul Ferguson and Rune Lilledal Hansen for words of encouragement throughout. Finally, a million thank-yous to my wife Stella for putting up with even more of a hip-hop obsession than has become the norm. iii Table of Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Research Themes .............................................................................................................. 2 Structure ........................................................................................................................... 3 Methodological Approach ................................................................................................. 4 Chapter 1 – Hip-Hop Rules and Techniques, Global and Local .................................... 8 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 8 Global to Local .................................................................................................................. 9 Frameworks and Perspectives ........................................................................................... 9 Rap vs Hip-Hop ................................................................................................................ 10 Technical Writing and Lyrical Devices .............................................................................. 11 Flow: The Evolution of Rhythm and Rhyme ..................................................................... 12 ‘Multis’ – Compound Rhyme in Rap ................................................................................. 16 Punchlines ....................................................................................................................... 19 Quotation ....................................................................................................................... 20 Quotation in My Work .................................................................................................... 22 Topics and Themes .......................................................................................................... 24 Braggadocio .................................................................................................................... 25 Social Commentary ......................................................................................................... 26 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 28 Chapter 2 – Identity and Authenticity, Global and Local .......................................... 30 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 30 Identity in Society and Music ........................................................................................... 31 Authentic Identity ........................................................................................................... 33 Authenticity and Fluid Identity ........................................................................................ 35 Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself: A Rap Introduction ............................................... 39 Connecting the Global and the Local ............................................................................... 40 Scots Accent and Language in Music ................................................................................ 45 Constructing Spaces, Creating Identities .......................................................................... 50 Musical Identity .............................................................................................................. 52 Identity Crisis: Mixed Musical Messages .......................................................................... 54 Live Performance of Authenticity .................................................................................... 57 Music Constructing Authenticity ...................................................................................... 58 Reception Constructing Identity ...................................................................................... 60 My Identity Analysed ...................................................................................................... 61 iv Close Reading: First Verse of “The Numbness” (2009) ...................................................... 63 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 67 Chapter 3 – An outsider in a genre of misfits ........................................................... 69 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 69 What is Outsiderdom? .................................................................................................... 70 Outsiderdom in Hip-Hop ................................................................................................. 72 Inside Outsiderdom – A Personal Account ....................................................................... 74 An Informal Study of Lyric Writing (1994 – 2004) ............................................................. 78 Analysis Part 1: Signifying outsiderdom ........................................................................... 80 Close Reading: “Will the Last One Out Please Turn Off the Light” (2012) ......................... 81 Analysis Part 2: Lyrical Portraiture ................................................................................... 86 Close Reading: “Draw Yir Own Conclusions” (2014) ......................................................... 87 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 93 Chapter 4 – Rap Essays on Independence and National Identity .............................. 95 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 95 Hip-Hop as Social Commentary ....................................................................................... 95 Discussion: The Scottish Independence Debate ............................................................... 96 The Journey from Winter… to Son ..................................................................................
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