Genre, Authenticity, and Appropriation in Detroit Ghettotech
“STRAIGHT UP DETROIT SHIT”: GENRE, AUTHENTICITY, AND APPROPRIATION IN DETROIT GHETTOTECH Gavin Mueller A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS August 2007 Committee: Jeremy Wallach, Advisor Angela Nelson Awad Ibrahim © 2007 Gavin C. Mueller All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT This thesis is an analysis of the genre of Detroit dance music known as ghettotech based primarily on ethnographic data collected from music producers and DJs. After constructing a genealogy tying together ghettotech’s influences from Detroit techno, hip hop, and Miami bass, I discuss how ghettotech rearticulates authenticity discourses present in antecedent genres in the production of its own authenticity. I also examine how ghettotech producers negotiate with Detroit’s economic decline and the increased corporate control of the city’s media, as well as the implications of the increased globalization of the genre. iv For Katie v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost I would like to thank the artists who willingly donated their time and occasionally their homes towards the completion of this project: DJ Nasty, DJ Assault, Body Mechanic, DJ Spade, and Big Red, your contributions were essential. I would also like to thank individuals who lent vital support to me during field research: Cliff Thomas, B. Calloway, Bootytek, Jizmatron, the Dickride.com forum, Miss Cleo, Kia Baker, all the DJs and producers who got me hooked on the sound of “booty” music, along with countless others whose contributions and engagement with ghettotech shaped my ideas on this topic. I’d also like to thank the members of the Bowling Green State University faculty who have assisted me in many areas of this project: Dr.
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