Thesis
A content analysis of popular themes and sexuality in rap and reggae music
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2010
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102684
Abstract
The discourse surrounding the destructive nature of rap and reggae music has persisted throughout academic literature and the media. Yet, homophobia in music is often ignored in the discourse and in sociological studies, specifically. Are the homophobic messages contained in the songs of some reggae or rap artists representative of these genres? And, given that homophobia is not a theme that generates much attention in scholarly criticism of rap music, is reggae more homophobic than rap? Do the frames used in the discussion of reggae and rap in the media and academic discourse accurately reflect the lyrical content of popular songs? Furthermore, since both rap and reggae have been accused of being explicit, are the genres more explicit or implicit? These questions are explored by using data from Billboard's Year-End Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Reggae Albums, between the years 1993 and 2008. Drawing on Binder's (1993) argument about how media frames shape popular perceptions of music, I used content analysis to analyze a sample of 540 songs for several themes. Contrary to critical discourse surrounding these music genres, results of this study show that homophobia is the least prevalent theme in reggae and one of the least prevalent themes in rap. While reggae artists might not be as explicit as rap artists, several themes supported the hypothesis that their songs may be more implicit. The distinction between implicit and explicit categories may illuminate the different cultural barriers inherent in marketing music to American audiences.
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Details
- Title
- A content analysis of popular themes and sexuality in rap and reggae music
- Creators
- Annika Yvette White
- Contributors
- Scott Frickel (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Sociology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525197501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis