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“DEADBEAT:” HIP-HOP's REMIX of FATHERHOOD NARRATIVES a Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The DEE-JAY DROP THAT “DEADBEAT:” HIP-HOP’S REMIX OF FATHERHOOD NARRATIVES A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri-Columbia In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy By JESSIE L. ADOLPH, SR. Dr. Anand Prahlad, Dissertation Supervisor May 2018 The undersigned, appointed by the Associate Vice Chancellor of the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, have examined the dissertation entitled DEE-JAY DROP THAT “DEADBEAT:” HIP-HOP’S REMIX OF FATHERHOOD NARRATIVES presented by Jessie L. Adolph Sr., a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. _________________________________________________ Professor Anand Prahlad _________________________________________________ Professor Sheri-Marie Harrison _________________________________________________ Professor Karen Piper _________________________________________________ Professor Stephanie Shonekan DEDICATIONS I must thank Yahweh and Jesus Christ who is the center of my joy and the head of my life. This dissertation would not be possible without the love and devotion given by my trinity of Angels: Thesther Pace (Grandma), Thearthic Adolph (Mom) and Juanita Tucker (My Great Aunt). From you all I learned first-hand life is about long-suffering, selflessness, love, and the service one freely gives to others. Thank you for instilling those values in me through your life stories. Much gratitude to Barbara (aka Bobby Ann) Davis for taking me to the library and introducing me to the world of literature. To Dr. Delia Gillis thank you for being a big sister/momma figure to me especially when I wanted to quit numerous times and thanks for hooding me. These women set the foundation of my maleness and fatherhood. I thank Uncle Jr. for being a symbol of manhood in my life and the first black male I saw graduating from college (RIH). Much love to Bobby Payne for being a spiritual grandfather to me (RIH). Special shout out to my cousin Lil Gary aka Head for introducing this “Church Boy” to N.W.A and hip-hop culture. To Dr. Bryan Carter thank you for inspiring me to live the life of the mind. You and Ms. Carter have been down for me since day one (Love you guys). Much love to my Brick City-Georgia Peach, Best Friend, Personal Editor, and My Wife, Dr. Karen Traylor-Adolph. I appreciate you for helping me to Faith my fears and reminding me “even if it doesn’t look right, sound right, or feel right…God’s grace is sufficient. Thank you to my children Jessie Jr., Alyssa, Evan, and Alexander. I embarked on this journey because of you. I am proud to be your Dad. Shout out to my Lil Big Brother Roonell. Much love to the Adolph, Hall, McGhee, and Traylor/Daniel Family (especially Mama-in-Luv and Number one Usher, Ms. Cat). Special Shout Out to the ZG Chapter of A PHI A 06!!! My LB’s Andre Brown (The Ace) and Jon Adams (My Anchor). SS Collateral Damage (3 Doctors 1 Ship). Deuce Club is the Illest!!! CMB We ALL WE GOT!!!! A Tribe Called English (aka The Joneses)!!! Second Baptist Church!!! AMEN God Is Good!!!! LINCOLN UNIVERSITY and CMSU (aka UCM). Shout out to HIP-HOP and my favorite emcees Nas, KRS-One, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Rakim, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, NWA, Wu-Tang, OutKast, Pac, Biggie, Chuck D of Public Enemy and all the artists I included in the dissertation. You all are fathers on wax!!!! Lastly Shout Out to the West-Side St. Louis: Plymouth and Cabanne Projects for raising me. You can’t spell huSTLe without STL. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Anand Prahlad for motivating me to complete this milestone. I shall carry forth these lessons throughout my career. To Dr. Sheri Marie- Harrison, I want to personally thank you for grilling me during my defense. You challenged me to take my scholarship to a higher level. You were like Officer Foley (from the film Officer and A Gentlemen) and I appreciate you for the extra push cause “I had NO WHERE ELSE TO GO!!!!!” Special Shoutout to Dr. Karen Piper aka K-Pipe. I appreciate you taking out the time to point out my errors in each of my drafts and challenging me to think critically about the blind spots on my project. Last but not least, I must thank Dr. Shonekan for your kind words and being my emotional support when the journey got rough---You and your family are truly a blessing to me (WAKANDA FOREVER). iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements..............................................................................................................ii Abstract...............................................................................................................................iv Chapters Introduction……………………………..………………….…………..…….……1 1. “I’ll Always Love Momma” and Hate My Daddy: Addiction in Hip-hop Fatherhood Narratives……….………………………..…..….……….……...53 2. A Hip-hop Blues Prayer in the Belly of the Beast: Incarceration, Underground Economies, and Urban Landscapes………..……………………..………….97 3. The Seeds Hatched: Hip-hop’s lyricism demonstrating the effects of Intergenerational and Transgenerational Trauma on Black Adolescent Identity Formation……………………………………………………..…………….152 4. Tangled in Anansi’s Web of Father-Lacking Trauma and Dysfunctional Co- Parenting……………………………………….…………………………...188 5. “Now do you want an encore, do you want more?” aka The Conclusion….226 Appendix 1. 2010-2015 Hip-hop Database........................................................................231 Works Cited Page.............................................................................................................234 Vita...................................................................................................................................243 iv DEE-JAY DROP THAT “DEADBEAT:” HIP-HOP’S REMIX OF FATHERHOOD NARRATIVES Jessie L. Adolph, Sr. Dr. Anand Prahlad, Dissertation Supervisor ABSTRACT This dissertation examines hip-hop fatherhood narratives from 2010-2015 influenced by drug addiction, mass incarceration, underground economies, trauma, and dysfunctional co-parenting. Explicitly, the paper explores how marginalized, urban African American dads are imagined as protectors, providers, and/or surrogates in hip- hop lyricism. Additionally, the research pays attention to hip-hop artists’ depiction of identity orchestration and identity formation of black adolescents and patriarchs by utilizing David Wall’s theories on identity stasis. Moreover, the dissertation critically analyzes hip-hop lyrics that reflect different concepts of maleness such as hyper- masculine, the complex cool, biblical, heroic, and hegemonic masculinities. In sum, the paper examines rap lyrics use of mimicry calling into question representative black male engagement with American patriarchy. 1 Introduction Pining for the magic dust from a fairy godmother, music critic Stanley Crouch longs for a knight in shining armor to rescue his daughter from the horde of “unsuitable males” of the hip-hop generation. In his article entitled “Memo to Young Black Men [18- 35] …Please Grow Up,” he laments the lack of “good” male prospects for his “nearly 30- year-old daughter who has never been close to marrying anyone.” Perhaps as a music critic, Crouch cannot help himself as he looks at hip-hop as the source of his and his daughter’s angst. He describes the musical genre as rebellious music deriving “from the bottom of the cultural slop bucket in which punk rock curdled.” Crouch further contends hip-hop’s construction of the Black male body as “the street thug, the gang member, the drug dealer and the pimp” has led countless masses of Black men to perform a “lifelong part as a "man-child.” Crouch’s attacks on hip-hop culture are akin to the critiques leveled against rock and roll, blues, and even Crouch’s beloved jazz. Interestingly, Crouch’s quest to reclaim and/or remix authentic Black manhood, reminiscent of African Americans writers and thinkers of times gone by, makes his commentary fascinating, ironic, and so much like a hip-hop song. Crouch’s criticism of hip-hop and Black masculinity is short-sighted. I contend hip-hop represents Amiri Baraka’s “changing same,” as the constantly shifting voice and cultural identifier of the Black masses--specifically urban Black males. Even, Crouch’s commentary supports this in following: Hip-hop began as some sort of Afro protest doggerel and was very quickly taken over by the gangster rappers, who emphasized the crudest materialism in which the ultimate goal was money and it did not matter 2 how one got it. The street thug, the gang member, the drug dealer, and the pimp became icons of sensibility and success. Then the attitudes of pimps took a high position and the pornographic version of hip-hop in which women become indistinguishable bitches and hos made a full-court press on the rap "aesthetic." In the passage above, Crouch rightfully argues hip-hop furnishes narratives presenting Black male identity as hyper-masculine and misogynistic. Subsequently, his comments illustrate hip-hop promotes "the attitudes of pimps” making it hard for Black males to recognize women beyond the "rap aesthetic” of “bitches and hos.” Perhaps this is the reason Crouch’s daughter cannot find a “good” husband among the poor prospects of her generation. But Crouch’s consternation of his daughter’s marital status also, ironically, evinces male chauvinism and patriarchy; and his assessment of the music genre paints hip-hop as the sole cause of Black males’ so-called lack of developmental growth, which is far from
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