This dissertation considers the evolution of Rap music and Hip Hop culture from the perspective of two spatial modalities. It first introduces theoretical concepts of geographic scale and the inscription of socio-spatial values in order to examine Rap and Hip Hop's geo-cultural expansions from their primary enclaves of urban black America. The dynamics between race, social space, and youth are assessed both individually and in tandem as crucial elements in the expression and practices of Hip Hop. The dissertation challenges and extends research in the prevailing Rap "canon" by analysing the processes and structuring logics through which Rap has been integrated into the commercial system of localized music scenes and transnational music and media industries. It identifies the myriad forces that have either facilitated or constrained Rap's expansion at various moments in its history. The dissertation also focuses on the emergence of a pronounced spatial discourse in Rap music and Hip Hop. It isolates the articulation of spatial issues and an increasingly urgent emphasis on sites of significance and the homeplace of "the 'hood" as a significant but characteristic element of the genre. The ancillary Hip Hop media, including radio, music videos, Rap press, and the cinematic "'Hood" genre, are examined as important factors in the reproduction of spatial sensibilities in Hip Hop culture.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.35430 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Forman, Murray W. |
| Contributors | Szanto, George (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Graduate Communications Program.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001657170, proquestno: NQ50163, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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