Black Masculinity and Hip-Hop: A Case Study of “Superheroes” (2020) and “Just Like You” (2017)

Abstract

[eng] Hip-hop is a music genre frequently categorized as violent, obscene and a glorification of gang criminality and drug consumption. But why is this so and is this in direct correlation with the fact that many artists occupying these genres are male and black. This is precisely the question that this paper will answer, making use of the concept of black masculinity to do so. Several aspects encompassing gender performativity and acculturation will be analyzed under the scope of theoretical framework surrounding the concept of black masculinity. To make the analysis more practical, the study will focus on two cultural products: —Superheroes— by Stormzy and —Just Like You— by Joyner Lucas. —Just Like You— shows the audience what it means to be growing up under the influence of ideas of black masculinity exposing many of the pejorative associations that come with this form of performing gender. —Superheroes— offers alternatives to provide new interpretations of what it really means to be black and how there are no boundaries when it comes to authentic self-expression. Both cultural products are an immense resource to extract evidence as to prove just how much black masculinity plays a role in hip-hop. This research is significant due to hip-hop undergoing constant change in relation to the cultural expression it is tied to. In other words, since the genre is used to express ideas of individuals, these ideas can then be applied to theoretical framework to understand the inner working of cultural phenomenon, black masculinity being the one in question. Furthermore, since our world is so globalized, these products have a far-reaching impact that they cannot be ignored on from a scholarly standpoint. All things considered, this essay attempt to prove that black masculinity is clearly represented in both music videos, although they might express different versions of the phenomenon.