The role of Rap/Hip Hop music in the meaning and maintenance of identity in South African youth Dror Cohen –Student number: 0516487P A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witswatersrand Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of the Arts (Clinical Psychology). June 2008 Declaration I declare that this is my unaided work, and that I have given full acknowledgement to the sources that I have used. This research is being submitted for the Degree of Masters of Arts (Clinical Psychology) at the University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination at any other university. _____________________________ Dror Cohen June 2008 1 Abstract Although music has seemingly always formed an integral part of human culture, technological advances in contemporary society have increased both its accessibility and portability, allowing for unprecedented production and consumption of a medium that allows individuals to enact and display various social identities during day-to-day life. Furthermore, recent research has demonstrated that youth consume more music that any other age group. Thus music may be considered as a primary cultural influence in the lives of youth. While the bulk of the research conducted in understanding the form and function of this influence has been located in the disciplines of sociology and musicology, Psychologists in Europe and America have become increasingly interested in understanding the role of music in constructing and maintaining identity during this critical period of development. As a contribution to this field of application outside of these contexts and located within a qualitative framework, this study explored the role of Rap/Hip Hop music, as one of the most popular global and local genres of music, in the meaning and maintenance of identity in a cohort of South African youth. The resultant thematic framework illustrated the complex tensions negotiated by youth through assuming Hip Hop culture membership in South Africa. Importantly, the study showed that the nature of Hip Hop culture; its emphasis on self-expression, individuation and critical social awareness dovetails with many of the traditional psychological developmental theories of youth identity. Hip Hop consumption also implied appropriating identity markers from a wide range of social influences, posing challenges to the application of traditional social identity theory in accounting for in and out groupings. This was most pronounced in the way that ‘remixing’, as a governing musical principle in Hip Hop seems to resonate as key mode of identity and identification amongst its South African consumers. Thus, it seems fitting that South African youth currently in the midst of cultural, economic and political transitions would embrace an eclectic rather than rigidly bounded genre of music with such enthusiasm. In some ways then Hip Hop in South Africa, appears to provide youth with the means to remix past and present, old and new, global and local, self and other. 2 Acknowledgements: This research project would not have been possible without the support of several people. I would like to thank the following people for their direct and indirect contributions towards this research project: • Dr Brett Bowman for his time, patience and effort during the course of this project. I appreciated his bravery for venturing down an unexplored path of research with an inexperienced researcher. I have learned much from our interactions and the important feedback I have received regarding this project. I have also enjoyed our conversations about the research. • I would like to phrase my next acknowledgement in colloquial terms as a sign of respect to the youths that participated in this project. I would like to give all of you a Shout Out. Thank you all for contributing your time and honesty to this project. • Dr Maina Mutonya for his patience, humility and thought at a crucial time during this research project. • The Clinical psychology team at the University of the Witswatersrand for their patience and faith during a challenging period of my life. • Professor Norman Duncan for his advice during the formative stages of drafting the proposal for this project. • My family and particularly my father Dr Meyer David Cohen (MD) for believing in me and my aspirations. • All of my friends that have shared this experience with me and provided a space for support and play. 3 Table of Contents Declaration ................................................................................................................................................ 1 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements: ................................................................................................................................. 3 Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 7 1.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 7 1.2. Music .............................................................................................................................................. 7 1.2.1. Music in Contemporary Times ................................................................................................ 7 1.2.2. Rap/Hip-Hop, Culture and Identity ........................................................................................ 9 1.2.3. Music, Meaning and Identity .................................................................................................. 9 1.2.4. Youth, Music and Identity ..................................................................................................... 10 1.2.5. Youth as an Extension of ‘Adolescence’ ............................................................................... 10 1.2.6. South African Youth .............................................................................................................. 11 1.3. Aim ............................................................................................................................................... 12 1.4. Chapter Structure ........................................................................................................................ 12 1.5. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 2: Literature Review .................................................................................................................. 13 2.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 13 2.2. Identity ......................................................................................................................................... 13 2.2.1. Theories of Identity ............................................................................................................... 13 2.2.2. Adolescence and Youth Identity ............................................................................................ 15 2.2.3. Music and Identity ................................................................................................................ 17 2.3. Rap Music: ................................................................................................................................... 20 2.3.1. A Brief History of Rap Culture ............................................................................................. 20 2.3.2. Rap Music and Identity Across the Globe ............................................................................ 21 2.3.3. Rap Music and Identity in Africa .......................................................................................... 24 2.3.4. Rap Music and Identity in South Africa ................................................................................ 25 2.4. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 27 Chapter 3: Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 28 3.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 28 3.2. Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 28 3.2.1. Qualitative Analysis .............................................................................................................. 28 3.2.2. Thematic Content Analysis ................................................................................................... 28 3.3. Interview Structure ...................................................................................................................... 29 3.4. Data Collection- Sampling .........................................................................................................