ABSTRACT
Hip-hop is a diasporic culture so in many regards does not have a specific starting point because of the complex nature of its formation. For a music that holds "being true to oneself" as a fundamental tenet of 'keepin' it real', rappers who fabricate personas and live a lie portraying themselves as American, might immediately seem inauthentic. Peterson's book Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity, is one of the most extensive studies of authenticity in popular music. In focusing on the socially constructed nature of authenticity, Peterson draws attention to the conscious effort required to both achieve and maintain it. The issue of race is fiercely debated in hip-hop, and is most often framed according to notions of essential blackness and critical interrogations of white legitimacy. Social class, which is very often linked to race, can be equally important in authenticity stakes.
