ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author discusses the relationship between geography and popular culture, with particular reference to the significance of experiential research and context to her approach to music and racialized identities in Aotearoa/New Zealand. She draws on a number of examples from her research in Aotearoa/New Zealand to highlight how this approach, by accessing racialized discourse through popular music, has provided a unique insight into racialized practices and experiences. Rap music does dominate the singles charts in Aotearoa/New Zealand and while there is the occasional rap song by Polynesian artists, rap music sales are dominated by African American performers. Examining locally produced music has favoured sites of music production as legitimate cultural expressions of the local whilst avoiding the complexities which underpin the negotiation and appropriation of popular music within localized music listening practices. The author explores the relationship between music and racialized identities through an audience-based approach.
