University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 3-31-2009 Realness and Hoodness: Authenticity in Hip Hop as Discussed by Adolescent Fans Ginger L. Jacobson University of South Florida Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons Scholar Commons Citation Jacobson, Ginger L., "Realness and Hoodness: Authenticity in Hip Hop as Discussed by Adolescent Fans" (2009). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/2027 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Realness and Hoodness: Authenticity in Hip Hop as Discussed by Adolescent Fans by Ginger L. Jacobson A thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Sociology College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: Laurel Graham, Ph. D. Jennifer Friedman, Ph. D. William Tyson, Ph. D. Date of Approval: March 31, 2009 Keywords: rap, music, media, signified, performance © Copyright 2009, Ginger L. Jacobson Dedication This thesis is dedicated to Grandpa who encouraged me to pursue higher education. I know he was proud of my academic accomplishments and will continue to watch over me as I pursue a doctorate to be the next Dr. Jacobson of the family. Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Graham for collaborating closely with me on this project. Her detailed comments were meticulously written and offered constructive, optimistic criticism. I would like to thank Dr. Friedman for coaching my interview technique and giving me confidence with this skill. I would like to thank Dr. Tyson for his attention to detail and continuous support. Thank you to my entire committee for taking me onto their workload and believing in my ideas. A special thank you to my sister who helped me get this ball rolling. As always, I would like to thank Papa for his endless support and advice that consistently guide me through life. Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Chapter One: Introduction ...................................................................................................1 Distinctions Between Hip Hop and Rap ..................................................................2 Youth Culture and Identity ......................................................................................3 Identity and Interpretations Among Popular Music Listeners .................................4 Capital and Authenticity ..........................................................................................7 Media Literacy and Adolescents ..............................................................................8 Hip Hop Culture and Race .....................................................................................10 Research Questions ................................................................................................11 Chapter Two: Methods ......................................................................................................13 Sampling Technique ..............................................................................................14 A Note on Performance in my Interviews .............................................................15 My Presentation of Self .........................................................................................16 The Interviews .......................................................................................................17 Examining Talk ......................................................................................................18 Meet the Participants..............................................................................................18 Darrius....................................................................................................... 19 Mimi ...........................................................................................................19 Ciara ...........................................................................................................20 Ty ...............................................................................................................20 Sarah ..........................................................................................................20 Charlotte .....................................................................................................21 Ronnie ....................................................................................................... 21 Angelo ....................................................................................................... 22 Jay ............................................................................................................. 22 Dave .......................................................................................................... 22 Guilli ......................................................................................................... 23 Pierre ......................................................................................................... 23 Chapter Three: Realness: An Authenticity Test ................................................................25 The Artist as a Real Person ....................................................................................26 i Relatability .............................................................................................................29 “What You See is What You Get” ........................................................................ 31 Fake in Opposition to Being Real ..........................................................................33 Plies the rapper: Real or fake? ...............................................................................34 Chapter Four: Hoodness: The Characterization of Being‘Hood’ ......................................37 Coolness .................................................................................................................39 “A Hood Meaning” ............................................................................................... 40 “Been Through a Lot” ........................................................................................... 45 Significations and the Hyperreal ............................................................................47 The Truth as Understood but not Experienced by the Listener .............................49 Chapter Five: Conclusion ..................................................................................................55 List of References ..............................................................................................................57 Appendix: Interview Questions .........................................................................................64 ii Realness and Hoodness: Authenticity in Hip Hop as Discussed by Adolescent Fans Ginger L. Jacobson ABSTRACT Various forms of media penetrate our lives daily. Hip hop music has gained universal appeal and widespread success that permeates barriers of race, class, gender, age, and nationality. It is important for social service workers, parents, educators and other adults who interact with youth to understand the roles hip hop music and culture can play in the identities of those who are listening. In this study I conducted 12 open- ended interviews with adolescent hip hop fans about their music. The research presented in this thesis suggests that adolescent hip hop fans are making interpretations from the media and applying them to their understanding of themselves and the world. The findings of this study show that these adolescent hip hop fans most saliently describe their interactions and understandings of hip hop music in terms of authenticity. This thesis builds upon Armstrong’s (2004) forms of authenticity, incorporating what participants discussed about themes of realness and hoodness. These interviews also indicate that fans relate music’s lyrics to their own lives and what they understand of other people’s lives. Youth may understand hip hop images and messages as types of lived realities. Although further research is necessary, these findings suggest there may be a need for adolescents to refine media literacy skills to be critical of media images and messages. iii Chapter One Introduction Music is an ancient form of entertainment and expression. As the traditional institutions of family, church, and school become less influential in the social development of children, media and entertainment industries continue to penetrate American lives and transmit culture (Kitwana 2005). In an increasingly mediated world, music is nearly omnipresent in the lives of children (Bosacki, Francis-Murray, Pollon, and Elliott 2006). Music plays on the iPods, CD players, computers, televisions, DVD players, video and electronic games of children and adults alike. “The content of this media may provide models for identity development and may influence the way children and adolescents think and feel about themselves and the world” (Bosacki et al. 2006:369). Therefore, it is important for social science to study how music connects to listeners’