ABSTRACT
For many black youths in the United States, in the words of the classic song by War, the world is a ghetto. Trapped in and witness to cycles of violence, destitution and lives of desperation, their aspirations and views find expression in political behavior, social practice, economic activities, and cultural outlets. These streams came together and informed a culture of resistance that has been termed Hip Hop whose most dynamic expression is in the form of rap music. On the one hand, rap is the voice of alienated, frustrated and rebellious black youth who recognize their vulnerability and marginality in post-industrial America. On the other hand, rap is the packaging and marketing of social discontent by some of the most skilled ad agencies and largest record producers in the world. It’s this duality that has made rap and rappers an explosive issue in the politics of power that shaped the 1992 U.S. elections and beyond. It’s also this duality that has given rap its many dimensions and flavors; its spiraling matrix of empowerment and reaction.
