The Good, the Bad, and the Narrative: How Youth Experience the ‘Gangsta’ in Rap Music
| Published date | 01 December 2024 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/14732254241239028 |
| Author | Bernd Dollinger |
| Date | 01 December 2024 |
| Subject Matter | Original Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/14732254241239028
Youth Justice
2024, Vol. 24(3) 429 –443
© The Author(s) 2024
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DOI: 10.1177/14732254241239028
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The Good, the Bad, and the
Narrative: How Youth Experience
the ‘Gangsta’ in Rap Music
Bernd Dollinger
Abstract
Rap is a music genre that is as dynamic and internationally successful as it is extensively discredited. This
contribution begins here by focusing on the perception of young rap fans and asking what meaning they
attach to rap specifically with regard to the criminality of gangstas. The empirical basis for the analyses is
an ethnographic study with young rap fans in Germany. The results show that rappers as gangstas have a
high identification potential for the young people – but not in every case. Rappers have to be authentic and
show the young people possibilities to find ways out of disadvantaged and discriminating living conditions, if
necessary with the help of crime. To appear credible in this respect, gangstas must rap about actual crimes
and communicate experiences with which the young people, for their part, are familiar.
Keywords
drugs, gangsta rap, gangster, narratives, violence, youth
The Story Continues: Rap and Criminalization1
Rap is a music genre that receives broad public, political, and academic attention. Since
the 1980s and 1990s, it has dominated discussions about young people’s media consump-
tion and its possible connection to criminality. The term rap, however, tends to be mis-
leading because very different subgenres have long since been differentiated, which can
hardly be brought down to a common, uniform denominator. Rap and its diverse subgen-
res are flexible and undergo a permanent process of transformation (Lena, 2006). Drill,
conscious rap, cloud rap, trap, gangsta rap, emo rap, crunk, and numerous other (intern)
national and local styles represent a very heterogeneous landscape that is constantly
changing. Even individual subgenres, such as gangsta rap, are not to be understood stati-
cally, but rather merge with other subgenres and adapt to particular framework conditions
of production and consumption. Thus, Quinn (2005: 191) speaks of gangsta rap not as a
Corresponding author:
Bernd Dollinger, Faculty 2, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2a, 57068 Siegen, Germany.
Email: bernd.dollinger@uni-siegen.de
1239028YJJ0010.1177/14732254241239028Youth JusticeDollinger
research-article2024
Original Article
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