Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2014 Raptivism: the Act of Hip Hop’s Counterpublic Sphere Forming into a Social Movement to Seize its Political Opportunities Matthew .C Maddex Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Communication Commons Recommended Citation Maddex, Matthew C., "Raptivism: the Act of Hip Hop’s Counterpublic Sphere Forming into a Social Movement to Seize its Political Opportunities" (2014). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 727. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/727 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. RAPTIVISM: THE ACT OF HIP HOP’S COUNTERPUBLIC SPHERE FORMING INTO A SOCIAL MOVEMENT TO SEIZE ITS POLITICAL OPPORTUNITIES A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Communication by Matthew C. Maddex B.A., California State University, Long Beach, 2004 M.A., Miami University (Ohio), 2007 December 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iii Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Preview of Chapters .......................................................................................................... 16 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 19 Chapter 2: The Roots–From Ancestral Speech to the Politics of Hip Hop .................................. 21 African Oral Traditions for the Foundation of Modern Rap ............................................. 26 Contributing Factors to the Formation of a Hip Hop Culture ........................................... 32 “The Message” and The Politics of Rap’s Voice .............................................................. 38 Hip Hop’s Community ...................................................................................................... 42 Chapter 3: Rap’s Space–Argumentative Spheres, Counterpublics and Identity ........................... 44 The Three Spheres of Argumentation ............................................................................... 46 Habermas: From Bourgeois Public Sphere to the Public Sphere ..................................... 50 Counterpublic Spheres: Formation & Function ................................................................ 58 Factors Affecting the Counterpublic Sphere ..................................................................... 64 Chapter 4: Hip Hop President?–Obama and Hip Hop’s Outreach to Each Other ........................ 73 Hip Hop’s Counterpublic Sphere: An Expression To Alter the Cultural Battlegrounds .. 76 “I Need You:” Barack Obama’s Appeal to the Hip Hop Community .............................. 83 Hip Hop’s Expressive Messages To Promote and Challenge Obama .............................. 97 Reflections on Barack Obama: Hope for Hip Hop? ....................................................... 107 Chapter 5: Hip Hop Republicans–A New Face for the Grand Ole Party ................................... 111 The GOP’s Need For A “Makeover” .............................................................................. 114 Conservative Connections to Hip Hop ........................................................................... 121 Hiphoprepublican.com (HHR): Providing Conservative Hip Hop a Voice ................... 132 Reflections on Hip Hop Being Conservative .................................................................. 138 Chapter 6: Crafting Hip Hop’s Social Movement to Seize Political Opportunities ................... 144 Music and Culture in the Formation of A Movement..................................................... 147 Conceptualizing Political Opportunity Structure ............................................................ 157 Hip Hop Emerging Activism to Seize Political Opportunities ....................................... 165 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 175 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 179 Appendix A: “My President is Rap: The Complete History of Barack Obama’s Hip-Hop Moments” .................................................................................................................................... 189 Appendix B: “Letter to Vibe Magazine” by Barack Obama ...................................................... 191 i Appendix C: "My President"–Young Jeezy ............................................................................... 193 Appendix D: "Black President"–Nas .......................................................................................... 196 Appendix E: “Why I’m A Hip Hop Conservative”–by Trey Radel ........................................... 199 Appendix F: When Black Meant Republican”–by Chris Ladd .................................................. 201 Vita .............................................................................................................................................. 203 ii Abstract This study explores recent attempts by the hip hop community to be recognized in the mainstream political sphere and to have its concerns acknowledged and addressed. This project examines how the scholarship of hip hop (musicology), rhetoric (counterpublic spheres), politics and social movement theory intertwine, and to demonstrate how hip hop’s community can emerge as a counterpublic sphere that could become a social movement capable of altering the current cultural and political landscape in the United States. Although hip hop as a culture consists of four major elements: breakdancing, graffiti art, deejaying, and rapping, this study focuses on rappers and the use of rap music in the political sphere. It suggests that hip hop is a counterpublic sphere that has the power to affect culture and politics and examines attempts by both liberal and conservative politicians and organizations to garner the hip hop community’s vote. It then discusses political opportunity theory and suggests that it may help the hip hop community emerge as a social movement capable of seizing its political opportunities. It relies upon the rhetorical work of the counterpublic sphere theory as a result of the hip hop community seeking a voice and recognition in the political public sphere. This serves as one of the basis for creating a counterpublic sphere. iii Chapter 1: Introduction He's coming, he's coming, he's coming He's coming, he's coming, he's coming He's coming, he's coming, he's coming He's here His name is Jesse His name is Jesse Hypocrites and uncle toms are talking trash (Let's talk about Jesse) Liberty and justice are a thing of the past (Let's talk about Jesse) They want a stronger nation at any cost (Let's talk about Jesse) Even if it means that everything will soon be lost (Let's talk about Jesse) He started on the bottom, now he's on the top He proved that he could make it, so don't ever stop Brothers stand together and let the whole world see Our brother Jesse Jackson go down in history So vote, vote, vote, everybody get up and vote Vote, vote, everybody get up and vote Vote, vote, everybody get up and vote Vote, vote, everybody get up and vote . The 30th day that's in December is a day that everyone's gonna remember Because on that day a righteous man, thought about taking a brand new stand The name of the man is Jesse Jackson and his call is for peace without an action 'Cause now is the time to change the nation without just another negotiation He went to the East for human rights to free a lieutenant shot down in flight Just another statistic and the government knew it, they didn't even want the man to go do it Before he left, he called the president's home and Reagan didn't even answer the phone But I tell you one thing and that's a natural fact, you can bet he calls Jesse when Jesse got back He started on the bottom, now he's on the top He proved that he could make it, so don't ever stop Brothers stand together and let the whole world see Our brother Jesse Jackson go down in history So vote Hypocrites just talking trash (Let's talk about Jesse) Liberty and Justice are a thing of the past (Let's talk about Jesse) (lyricsfreak.com) - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five The 1984 Democratic presidential primaries featured the famed civil rights leader, minister, and activist, Jesse Jackson, as the political underdog candidate seeking support against favorites Walter Mondale and Gary Hart. In an attempt to help garner more support for his 1 candidacy, Jackson was offered a unique means to get his message out, through a rap song written by the rap group Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. Grandmaster Flash wrote the rap song “Jesse” as a way to bring young