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Is consistently questioned by fans concerned about commercialization. My results also find that listeners frequently believe major acts remain homogeneous in their lyrics and thus, their authenticity While label status remains salient, artists’ access to economic and cultural resources remains a key issue. Indicate that record label status remains a key characteristic in hip-hop culture

Thus, female and LGBTQA (alliance) respondents highlight artists concordant with their social identities, which helps destabilize the conceptions of authenticityĪs technology allows for a wider array of the population to produce and consume music. Remain vexed as respondents believe that much of independent hip-hop often ignore issues of genderĭespite the increased diversity of artists and listeners. Rather, male indies of color present lyrics that reflect the struggles of the listeners in regard to race In particular, they state that mainstream musicians’ messages often do not reflect their social locations and experiences.

Listeners help create a notion of authenticityįor musicians through their interpretations of artists’ messages regarding race They corroborate indie hip-hop’s claims that record label affiliation remains salient to the bifurcation between mainstream and indie culture Interviewees indicate that the traditional definitions of major and independent remain intact. My analysis below emphasizes three main themes. The age demographic represents the population that was highly influenced by hip-hop in the post-goldenĪnd analyzes their interpretations of hip-hop and hip-hop music ethnicity, income, self-defined social class, educational attainment, and political affiliation (see Chapter 1 and Appendix C). The respondents range from the age of 18 to 35 living in Southern CaliforniaĪnd represent a heterogeneous snowball sample with regard to gender With self-identified independent hip-hop listeners of which two are also indie musicians themselves. My analysis draws on forty-six in-person and online interviews Unlike previous chapters (Chapters 2 and 3) that focused on artists’ lyrics, this chapter examines how listeners interpret and navigate the changing landscape and increasingly blurry differences between major and independent hip-hop following the culture’s push toward independence from 2000 to 2013, particularly in relation to race Technological shifts and advances, such as marketing and distribution channels, have further exacerbated the blurry lines of hip-hop. Also, there remains a blurry line between independents and majors that many artists navigate as they attempt to retain economic and creative freedom while still attempting to become financially successful. Female and queer listeners are more conscious of this omission than male and straight listeners, despite a current push toward female and LGBTQ representation in hip-hop’s mainstream.

Listeners suggest that indie hip-hop often focuses on race and class but often ignores issues of gender and sexuality. The author elaborates on listener’s definitions of independent and mainstream hip-hop and analyzes their interpretations of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and oppositional consciousness. This chapter utilizes forty-six interviews with self-identified independent hip-hop listeners to navigate the changing meanings of indie hip-hop in the post-golden era.