Date of Award
Fall 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA) in History
Department
History & Foreign Language
Committee Chair
Dr. Jennifer Gross
Abstract
The popularization of gangsta rap in the United States was pivotal to the advancement of Black America following the close of the Civil Rights Movement. The ruthlessness of gangsta rap created a distaste of authority that became a catalyst for Black American unity and change. Artists quickly started writing songs that spoke out against issues plaguing Black and poor Americans, realizing the power of the microphone and the radio. These rappers created an awareness for White audiences that had not been present before and even created a space for White artists with shared experiences. Female rappers took this activism a step forward, focusing on the issues unique to Black women, serving the womanist agenda. Collectively, these artists’ origin stories and works display how gangsta rap and hip-hop culture are more than music, fashion, and dancing; they are the means for a movement.
Approval Form
Included in
African American Studies Commons, American Popular Culture Commons, Cultural History Commons, Radio Commons, Social History Commons