Wayne State University Wayne State University Dissertations 1-1-2014 The Rhetoric Of The iH p Hop Hustler: Shifting Representations Of American Identity Marylou Renee Naumoff Wayne State University, Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations Part of the American Studies Commons, Communication Commons, and the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons Recommended Citation Naumoff, Marylou Renee, "The Rhetoric Of The ipH Hop Hustler: Shifting Representations Of American Identity" (2014). Wayne State University Dissertations. Paper 1052. This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@WayneState. It has been accepted for inclusion in Wayne State University Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@WayneState. THE RHETORIC OF THE HIP HOP HUSTLER: SHIFTING REPRESENTATIONS OF AMERICAN IDENTITY by MARYLOU R. NAUMOFF DISSERTATION Submitted to the Graduate School of Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 2014 MAJOR: COMMUNICATION Approved by: _________________________________________ Advisor Date _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ ©COPYRIGHT BY MARYLOU R. NAUMOFF 2014 All Rights Reserved DEDICATION For my mother, E. Denise Naumoff Byard. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank my committee members for their time and useful feedback. Dr. Mary Garrett, Dr. Brad Roth, Dr. Kelly Young, and Dr. Sandy Pensoneau-Conway graciously remained with me on this journey. Dr. Brad Roth gave more time and care when reviewing this project and providing direction than one could ever ask of an outside committee member. Dr. Kelly Young provided instrumental insight and challenged me when developing and defending my methodological approach. Dr. Sandy Pensoneau-Conway remained on my committee when many would not; I am so grateful that accepting a position at a different institution did not mean an end to her involvement with this project. Finally, I want to thank my advisor, Dr. Mary Garrett. Not only did Dr. Garrett give of her time but she challenged me and held me to a standard that made me who I am today. Her dedication to me and this project was unwavering and I cannot overstate how instrumental she was to the completion of this project, the direction it took, and all I learned in the process. These lessons will serve me well. Next, I would like to thank my family. First, I would like to thank my maternal grandparents, Mary and Lambro Naumoff. They were like second parents to me and it is they who made me believe in myself, value hard work, and to view a dream as a series of goals. I am the person I am today because of their presence in my young life. My parents, E. Denise Naumoff Byard and John H. Byard, have supported me through my life. I must give a special mention to my mother (I know my dad would agree here). My mother was diagnosed with cancer while I was completing my doctoral coursework. As was my mother’s way, the first thing she thought of when discovering her cancer was terminal was how it was going to affect me and my completion of my PhD. I lost her while writing my prospectus. But, just as I promised, I finished this degree. I am where I am and I am the person I am because of my mother. A very special thank you and acknowledgement must be given to my amazing family: my husband, iii Kevin J. Burg and our son, Atticus E. N. Burg. Kevin has the best heart of any human I know. He has given me more love and support than I thought a person was capable of giving. He has made as many, if not more, sacrifices for me to achieve my goals. Kevin is my center and anchor and I cannot and do not want to imagine what life would be without him in it. The other man in my life, Atticus, deserves credit for completion of this project. His birth gave me hope and motivation when I felt there was none to be had. There are no words to express the love and joy Atticus fills my life with every day. Finally, I would like to thank my mother-in-law and father-in-law, Nita and Edward Burg. They love me like I am their own daughter and their love and support is felt and appreciated. Everything is easier with the help of a friend and this is nowhere more true than graduate school. I have made many amazing friends during my time at Wayne State University. I did not know that I was going to meet my sister in graduate school but I did when I met Erika M. Thomas. She is incredibly supportive and was my partner on this journey. It is a rare and special friendship we share and one that I wish all have in their life. I want to thank my writing partners Anthony Cavalieri and Elizabeth Ryan. They joined me countless times at coffee shops and libraries. We did not just share table space but also our triumphs, stresses, and fears. Elizabeth became far more than a writing partner and is now one of my best friends. I cannot thank her enough for her love and support. If I need reassurance or a kind ear Elizabeth always finds time in her very busy life to make me feel like listening to me is all she has to do at the moment. There are also a few friends that showed a tremendous amount of kindness to me when I needed it most. When my mother passed I am so grateful that Katie Rasmussen, Kim Lacey, Anke Wolbert and Elizabeth Durham Smith refused to “leave me alone.” Chris Gullen, my academic brother, even though you are media and I am rhetoric we always find a perfect meeting iv of the minds in theory land. Neil Butt is someone that should appear in the acknowledgment page of anyone he meets. He is one of the most selfless people I know and many would not have made it through our program without his help and kindness. Finally, I thank Dale Anderson for sharing his expansive knowledge of hip hop with me. I would like to end by thanking every professor I have had in the years I have spent in college. I would like to give a special thanks to Dr. William Trapani. His classes truly inform how I see the field and the world. Finally, I want to thank Dr. Stephen Depoe. He did more than serve as my M.A. thesis advisor. He supported me and helped me to see where I should be. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication __________________________________________________________________ ii Acknowledgments ____________________________________________________________ iii Chapter 1 “The Uncertainty of the Nation: Understanding Contestations Over American Identity” ________________________________________________________ 1 Text _______________________________________________________________ 10 Method ____________________________________________________________ 11 Chapter Summaries __________________________________________________ 15 Chapter 2 “Method: Approaching a Mode of Criticism to Account for Improbable Rhetorics” 18 Moving Towards a Theory that Accounts for Improbable Rhetorical Outcomes ______18 Reading the Conjuncture to Understand the Function of Improbability in Rhetoric ___ 37 Chapter 3 “Understanding the Problem-Space of Contested American Identity and the Conjuncture of the Hip Hop Formation.”________________________________ 52 The Problem-Space of Contested American Identity and the Rhetorical Force of the Self- Made Man ____________________________________________________________ 52 Defining Hip Hop ______________________________________________________56 The Hip Hop Conjuncture ________________________________________________59 Chapter 4 “The Hustler’s Use of the Logic of Commensuration and the Emergence of the Improbable Rhetoric of Jay-Z’s Decoded.” _____________________________ 82 Defining the “Hustle” Via the Logic of Commensuration _______________________ 82 The Hustler as the New Incarnation of the Self-Made Man: A Thematic Analysis of Jay- Z’s Decoded _______________________________________________________ 92 Conclusion___________________________________________________________ 110 Chapter 5 “Understanding the Uptake and Outcomes of the Hustler Sensibility”__________ 113 The Hustler as a New Mode of Black Masculine Performativity _________________114 vi The Hustler Sensibility: Pull Yourself Up by Your (Timberland) Boot Strap _______123 Shifting Affective Regimes… “Beat the System Before it Beats You.” ____________128 Tracing the Uptake of the Hustler Sensibility ________________________________ 132 Conclusion – The Hustler as a Twenty-First Century Self-Made Man ____________ 150 Chapter 6 “Reflections on Contributions, Limitations, and Future Research Questions” ____ 152 Limitations of Project __________________________________________________ 153 Directions for Future Research ___________________________________________ 158 References _________________________________________________________________ 161 Abstract ___________________________________________________________________171 Autobiographical Statement ___________________________________________________ 173 vii 1 Chapter 1 “The Uncertainty of the Nation: Understanding Contestations Over American Identity” Introduction The twenty-first century is marked by uncertainty. On a global scale individuals are confronted by a myriad of exigencies – economic, environmental, technological, religious, and ethical – that leave us searching for a way to understand the present and anticipate the future. We are confronted with questions about the very existence and continuation of the human species as environmental degradation persists, alternative energy