ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the ways in which spaces—defined here as a set of repeated social practices—are created, as well as the roles that these spaces play throughout hip hop’s history. The first part considers the construction of the “’hood” or the “ghetto” as it appears in rap lyrics and throughout history. The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense emerged in the 1960s in order to defend the black community from the police, which they viewed as an occupying force. Street gangs in the Bronx, in Los Angeles, and elsewhere claimed turf and would defend it against others who tried to encroach. In some cases, these gangs evolved into hip-hop crews, and battles for turf moved to the dance floor or the microphone. The rise of the internet over the last two decades has seen the rise of virtual spaces, where artists and fans can connect in new ways and where traditional music industry practices have been subverted. The interplay between confinement and mobility is central to understanding rap music.
