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In this article, we investigate the attitudes expressed by members of the Czech electronic music and hip-hop scenes (musicians and music producers) regarding copyright and how copyright affects their work in terms of sampling or remixing third-party recordings. We present their opinions on what measures would help improve the situation regarding the complex settlement of rights. Lastly, we investigate the ethical standards upheld by producers when sampling or remixing third-party material vis-à-vis the use of copyrighted music recordings and related rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different channels of nonverbal behavior can serve important functions in live music performances. In this paper, we look at cross-channel nonverbal behavior in a Chinese freestyle rap battle, investigating what categories of nonverbal behavior are used and what functions these behaviors serve. Using the theoretical frameworks of dyadic power theory and the coordination of verbal and nonverbal behaviors, we analyzed four video clips of two Chinese rappers in a freestyle rap battle. We found that nonverbal behaviors were crucial to helping them articulate the verbal content of their raps, displaying power and exerting dominance. Theoretical implications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to music during pregnancy enhances brain development and improves learning in neonatal rats. Methods: In these experiments, we examined the effects of exposure to silence, hard rock, classical, and rap music in utero plus 60 days postpartum on learning and memory in adult Wistar rats. Passive avoidance learning (PAL) was assessed at age 60 days, and a retention test was done 24 hours after training. Elevated plus maze (EPM) was also used as a standard behavioral task for assessing the effects of music therapy on anxiety. Furthermore, we measured serum corticosterone levels and adrenal weight at the end of experiments to show the possible effect of stress on the rats' behavior. Results: Hard rock music impaired acquisition, increasing the number of trials to acquisition in PAL task. Hard rock music also impaired the retrieval process by decreasing step-through latency and increasing time spent in the dark compartment during the retention trial. Further, in the hard rock group, there were increases in serum corticosterone and adrenal weight of rats. Classical music, in turn, improved acquisition learning and retention memory and decreased serum corticosterone levels compared to the silence group. Rats' exposure to rap music did not show any significant change in acquisition and retrieval processes compared to the silence group. In the EPM task, classical music exposure had anxiolytic-like effects revealed in an increase in the number of entries into open arms and time spent in the open arms. However, in this task, hard rock music induced an anxiogenic effect. Conclusions: Prenatal and postnatal exposure to music improves PAL and memory in adult rats. The effects of music therapy with classical music might be related to stress reduction by lowering corticosterone as a stress biomarker or anxiolytic effects; this deserves further examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The third-person effect describes a tendency to estimate the influence of mass communication on others ("third persons") as being stronger than on oneself and this has been well documented in previous research. Though a first-person effect has also been postulated for desirable mass communication messages (for ex. non-profit advertisements or public service announcements (PSAs)), for which reporting more influenceability of the self as compared to others should be a means to self-enhance, it has not been found in the two named meta-analyses. One cause might have been ambiguities in the meaning of "impact" of desirable messages. For ex., whereas the content of the message might intend a desirable impact (for ex. a plead against violence), it can collide with low preferences for the respective message context (for ex. rap music) and thus a reported low impact of the message can result. We assume that this ambiguity with respect to the function of messages is considerably lower if only advertisements are considered because they have one main function: persuasion. We thus present reanalyses of data from two meta-analyses though restricted to studies on the impact of advertising. With data from the first meta-analysis, we not only replicate the well-known third-person-effect for undesirable messages (d =.83; 95%CI [0.72, 0.94]; k = 27), but we also find a first-person-effect for desirable messages (d = -.47; 95%CI [-0.70, -0.24]; k = 7). From the studies included in the second meta-analysis, we reanalyzed the results of studies with PSAs (all socially desirable messages). After the exclusion of some studies due to methodological problems, we find a first-person-effect for PSAs (d = -.16; 95%CI [-0.27, -0.04]; k = 33). Thus, contrary to the conclusions of both meta-analyses, we confirm the existence of a reliable first-person-effect. Replicability of meta-analytic results, the necessity to exclude studies due to methodological problems, and the meaning of "impact of socially desirable messages" are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a line-by-line analysis of the key conversational instances identified in an asynchronous rap battle between Eminem (in Killshot) and Machine Gun Kelly (in Rap Devil), this study investigates diss tracks as manifestations of impoliteness. As a framework for our analysis, we adopt an overlay of Spencer-Oatey’s rapport management model/principles and Culpeper’s framework of impoliteness strategies/formulae. The results show that both rappers tried to out-diss each other by verbalizing a multitude of insults, curses, dismissals, and more. The paper builds on the relationship between power and impoliteness, the concept of authenticity in rap, prescribed and proscribed language use in hip-hop culture, and displays of identity roles of the rappers. The findings and discussion offer novel contributions to impoliteness research, as the current study is the first to investigate impoliteness in an asynchronous rap battle between two White rappers. In light of the analyses, we define diss track exchanges as asynchronous rap battles characterized by the abundant use of coercive impoliteness for entertainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes a Finnish anti-vax rap song "Tuku Tuku" (released in 2022) by likeminded white rappers and shows how the song constructs conspiracy theories by comparing preventative COVID measures, especially vaccines, to oppression, slavery, and genocide. Close reading of the song provides a deep dive into conspiratorial rhetoric within the context of two recent developments: a global pandemic and right-wing populism. The article argues that the song constructs a form of counterknowledge that relies on white ignorance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the development of hip-hop music and culture in China share a common interest in hip-hop's subservient role played in compliance with China's strict censorship. But by tactfully tampering with this political intervention, the music has now transformed its pre-established aesthetics and concomitant subcultural influences to challenge the existing scholarly understandings. Chinese artists, inspired by hip-hop subgenres of trap and Memphis rap that originated in American southern regions, have incorporated and further reconfigured hip-hop's subversive doctrines to challenge ideological regulations. By analyzing the music productions of quintessential Chinese hip-hop figures such as Higher Brothers and Dao Jiao, this study aims to demonstrate how artists draw from a global cultural art form to communicate their local beliefs. The findings suggest that the paradigm of hip-hop can be recontextualized when integrated into a new socio-cultural setting through translocalized adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial from the Journal of Popular Music Studies bids farewell to the outgoing co-editors, Elliott and Kaleb, and welcomes the new leadership of Alisha Lola Jones and Benjamin Tausig. The editorial also pays tribute to scholars Charles Hiroshi Garrett and Christine Capetola, who passed away, and highlights various scholarly articles featured in the final issue of volume 36. The issue covers diverse topics such as the categorization of Afrobeats, Bruce Springsteen's reinterpretation of Sister Rosetta Tharpe's music, the racialization of musical instruments, and the exploration of trans expression in Arca's music. The editorial concludes with reviews of books that delve into the journeys of individual musicians, experimentation in writing, protest music in non-Anglophone music scenes, and the impact of earworms on contemporary listening habits. [Extracted from the article]

The essay "The Pointer Broom: Sweeping Across Diasporas and Digital Terrains" explores the cultural significance of the pointer broom in Guyana and its connections to African and Asian Diasporas. The author develops the concept of the pointer broom analytic, highlighting its role as a metaphor for valuing experience and recovering the past. Through digital ethnography, the essay delves into how the pointer broom resonates in contemporary social media platforms, showcasing the diverse ways in which Guyanese women engage with this traditional tool. The essay also examines the intersections of race, gender, and environmentalism through the lens of the pointer broom, offering insights into the labor, traditions, and identities of Caribbean women. [Extracted from the article]

Rap is a music genre that is as dynamic and internationally successful as it is extensively discredited. This contribution begins here by focusing on the perception of young rap fans and asking what meaning they attach to rap specifically with regard to the criminality of gangstas. The empirical basis for the analyses is an ethnographic study with young rap fans in Germany. The results show that rappers as gangstas have a high identification potential for the young people – but not in every case. Rappers have to be authentic and show the young people possibilities to find ways out of disadvantaged and discriminating living conditions, if necessary with the help of crime. To appear credible in this respect, gangstas must rap about actual crimes and communicate experiences with which the young people, for their part, are familiar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBlack women’s sexuality has historically been constrained by stereotypes and a discourse focused on risks rather than pleasure. Early Black women rappers initiated vital conversations about sexual pleasure, with contemporary Black women rappers continuing to challenge norms and define Black women’s sexualities. Grounded in Hip-Hop Feminism and Sexual Script Theory, this study explores how Black women interpret and find meaning in sexual pleasure-focused lyrics in Black women’s rap music and how these interpretations shape their sexual self-concepts and navigation of systemic oppression. Through semi-structured interviews with 20 Black women aged 20–42 years who frequently listen to Black women rappers, thematic and discourse analysis identified three key themes: (a) prioritising sexual pleasure as a means of self-empowerment; (b) practising assertiveness as a means to achieving sexual pleasure; and (c) celebrating the body as an act of sexual pleasure. Black women rappers’ unapologetic discussion of sexual pleasure empowers Black women to reclaim sexuality on their own terms, independent of dominant societal narratives. This study extends existing literature on Hip-Hop Feminism by demonstrating the transformative potential of culturally relevant media in fostering sex-positive attitudes and advocates for incorporating these messages into sexual health education for Black women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the impact of Houda Abouz, known as Khtek, in the Moroccan hip-hop scene and her role in women's revolutionary music. Since her emergence in 2019, Khtek has gained recognition for her music that addresses mental health and women's rights, while also confronting gendered barriers in the male-dominated rap industry. Despite facing sexism, she emphasizes joy in her work and aims to empower women through her art, which she views as a form of personal and collective revolution rather than a political agenda. The article highlights how Khtek's unique approach to hip-hop reflects broader themes of gender identity and social change within Morocco and the SWANA region. [Extracted from the article]

The article "B-BOY FOR LIFE: BREAKING AS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE OF RESISTANCE" explores the origin and evolution of breaking, a form of dance that emerged in the South Bronx in the 1970s as part of hip hop culture. It highlights the aesthetic value and resistance of breaking, with a focus on Guatemalan b-boy B-boy Gato. The article analyzes breaking as a spiritual practice of resistance, connecting dance with concepts of hybridity and thirdspace. Additionally, it mentions the participation of breaking in the 2024 Paris Olympics and the life story of B-boy Gato, who has used breaking as a form of resistance and artistic expression in the midst of violence and adversity in Guatemala. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Mediterranean Journal of Gender & Women's Studies (KTC) / Akdeniz Kadın Çalışmaları ve Toplumsal Cinsiyet Dergisi is the property of Mediterranean Journal of Gender & Women's Studies (KTC) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this article I analyse how gospel rap music is authenticated as a Christian practice in evangelical culture in Finland. The research data consist of interviews with nine self-identifying Christian rappers as well as media coverage of rap music in the evangelical press between the years 2005 and 2020. I first show how Finnish gospel rap music is embedded in the general late modern religious landscape, which is marked by therapeutic individualism, confessionalism, and striving for personal development. Secondly, I discuss how social diversity is performed in evangelical culture through rap music. Finally, I show how some rappers are engaged in grassroots anti-racist interventions in their musical activities, while the larger evangelical culture often remains reluctant to address the theme of structural racism in Christianity. In the conclusion, I argue that gospel rap music is a diverse and thriving refashioning of Protestant Christianity in an age when the appeal of Christianity in Finland is generally diminishing and Christianity is losing its former position as the dominant religious identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to describe educational initiatives that use hip-hop culture as a means of socio-educational action. To this end, the authors carried out a systematic review of relevant articles published over the last 10 years in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and written in English, Spanish, Portuguese or Italian. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 68 articles were analysed. This analysis revealed how most of the reported experiences refer to formal secondary education. Although a third of these experiences are linked to critical pedagogies, these were not derived from the critical use of hip-hop – which was largely instrumental. But by means of a thematic content analysis, the authors identify the main strengths and limitations of hip-hop culture as an educational medium. Among the strengths they highlight are its potential to build culturally relevant educational contexts for students traditionally excluded from the academic curriculum, its fostering of students' political and social participation, and its facility to promote critical thinking. Among the challenges encountered in using hip-hop culture in educational spaces are some educators and families' perceptions of hip-hop as anti-educational, the imposition by educators of a vision of hip-hop that is not shared by young people, and the lack of systematisation of experiences that can provide guidance on how to carry out this type of initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Hip-hop, artivism, and paradoxes of the New Mestiza in Alma mestiza (2016) by Rebeca Lane" analyzes how Guatemalan rapper Rebeca Lane uses hip-hop as a tool to question gender dynamics and promote the empowerment of Central American women. Lane challenges hegemonic discourses and exposes the paradox of her identity as a mestiza woman. Her music and performance become instruments of female agency that seek to redefine female roles and dismantle subordination in society. Lane also addresses Guatemalan historical memory in songs like "Reina del caos" and "Cumbia de la memoria". Her art aims to make emerging femininities visible and promote social justice. [Extracted from the article]

Music has been proposed for a long time as a treatment for mental disorders. However, some special types of music or stimulating sounds might induce negative emotions. Herein, 8-week-old male mice were exposed to two specific genres of music, Hip-Hop (HH) and Heavy Metal (HM) and Construction Noise (CN) and a series of behavioral experiments were performed to evaluate the impact of these music or sounds on the emotion of mice. The experiment lasted 1 week in which 8-week-old male mice were used as animal models. We found that long term exposure HM, HH and CN induced depressive symptoms with a decrease in dopamine receptor 1 and BDNF protein in the mixture of hippocampus and frontal cortex of mice. Our results have highly addressed that certain special types of sound or music might induce negative emotions and loss of dopaminergic neurons in mice and it is necessary to intervene in adolescences that are exposed to these music or sounds for a long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses an interview with Fury Young, the founder of FREER Records, formerly known as Die Jim Crow Records, which focuses on recording music by currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. Fury Young started the record label to provide a platform for incarcerated musicians to share their music. The article highlights the challenges and successes of recording in prisons, the evolution of the record label, and the impact of the music created by incarcerated artists. Fury Young also discusses his personal journey, including his experiences with busking, releasing his own EP, and his relationship with BL Shirelle, a key figure at the label. The article also touches on the social activism efforts of FREER Records, such as providing personal protective equipment to prisons and advocating for clemency for incarcerated individuals like Mark Springer. Fury Young's commitment to supporting and amplifying the voices of incarcerated musicians is evident throughout the article. [Extracted from the article]

This article examines the role of language in African hip-hop and the debates surrounding language choice for artists. It discusses the historical context of language in Africa, including the dominance of European languages and the debates among African authors about writing in African languages versus European languages. The article also explores the different language choices made by African hip-hop artists and the impact on their audience reach and marketability. It concludes by discussing movements and collectives that advocate for performing in African languages and the challenges faced by English-performing artists in Tanzania. Overall, the use of language in African hip-hop raises important considerations about identity, representation, and cultural authenticity in the genre. [Extracted from the article]

The article "Exploring the Language Debate in Hip-Hop in Kenya" by Lydia (L-Ness Lioness) Owano Akwabi and Miranda Rivers discusses the use of language in Kenyan Hip-Hop, specifically focusing on the role of Sheng, an urban slang that is a mix of English, Swahili, and other African languages. The essay explores how Sheng is central to Hip-Hop culture in Nairobi and how it is used by youth to express their urban experiences. It also examines the relationship between Sheng and other Kenyan languages, as well as the marketability and audience reach of different languages in Hip-Hop. The article emphasizes that language choice is a way for artists to connect with their audience and convey their messages, and that the authenticity and articulation of the art form are more important than the specific language used. [Extracted from the article]

This essay explores the relationship between language and Hip-Hop in Tanzania. The author argues that when Tanzanian Hip-Hop artists rap in English, they are often compared to American artists, which exposes flaws in their work. However, when artists use Swahili, they can connect more with the people. Swahili is preferred by many artists because it has a larger audience base in Tanzania and other African countries. The essay also discusses the changes in Hip-Hop after it became commodified, with money becoming a motivating factor. The author reflects on the early years of Hip-Hop in Tanzania when artists were motivated by the love of the culture rather than financial gain. The essay concludes that language is not the critical factor in the success of a Hip-Hop performance, but rather the connection between the artist and the audience. [Extracted from the article]

Constantly shifting like a floating signifier, the interpretive life of "realness" has meant different things to global Hip-Hop adherents: staying true to oneself; reppin' one's hood; production styles such as boom bap; cadence, delivery, and flow; vivid storytelling; and underground resistance to forces of capitalist cooptation, among others. Yet to many others, realness means language – the artful capacity to rap, talk, and style oneself in ways that index one's cultural roots and identities. In this article, I consider the latter understanding of realness through the theoretical lens of decolonial meta-rap. In decolonial meta-rap, Nigerian emcees turn the reflexive apparatus of Hip-Hop back to itself, in the process raising questions about anglonormativity and colonial continuities in Nigeria. Focusing on the discourses of these emcees as well as their self-presentations in oral interviews and music videos, I argue that Nigerian emcees both popularize and continue the long decolonial struggle against cultural sites of colonial power in Africa. Di tin wey dem dey call realness for Hip-Hop dey mean different different tin to different different pipo wey dey follow Hip-Hop for everywhere. E fit mean say person no dey deceive imsef. Or e fit mean as rapper dey tell tori and how dem dey flow for dem music. E fit also mean di kain beat wey we dey hear for Hip-Hop music and how dem dey take make am. For oda pipo, realness dey mean say person dey proud to rap for im language and associate wit im culture. Dis my article dey observe dis last one. For dis article, I dey observe di way Naija rappers take dey use dem language and culture challenge colo-mentality for Nigeria. I tok say as dem dey rap, dem dey fight di kain brainwashing wey dey make person tink say oyinbo beta pass any language for Naija or Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores the relationship between race and language in South Africa, specifically within Cape Town's Hip-Hop community. The author reflects on the significance of Kaaps, a dialect spoken in the Cape Flats, and its recognition as one of South Africa's official languages. They also discuss the complex dynamics between English, Afrikaans, and indigenous languages within the Hip-Hop scene. The essay emphasizes the importance of language in self-expression and identity, while acknowledging the diverse cultural expressions and multilingual nature of South Africa. [Extracted from the article]

The United States has been a space for global musical transnational encounters among African-descended peoples, with various artists collaborating. These collaborations have blossomed with the advent of Afrobeats—a loose term describing the contemporary transatlantic sound of popular African music. Although there are male and female Afrobeats performers on the African continent, this cultural exchange occurs more often between male artists and U.S. musicians. Because male artists are mostly invited for live performances, their visibility puts them in a position to perform with and collaborate with U.S. artists. As a result, male artists get nominations for global awards such as the Grammys and accumulate more wealth. For female artists, the result is less visibility and wealth. Using Tiwa Savage and Burna Boy—two Afrobeats giants—as case studies, this essay examines the factors that limit Tiwa, a female performer, from achieving the same wealth as her male counterpart, Burna Boy. Specifically, this study analyzes the sonic and semiotic representations in their popular music videos, Tiwa's "Koroba" and Burna Boy's "On the Low," to understand why Burna Boy might have the edge over Tiwa. Their music and career trajectories shed light on how capitalism and sociopolitical issues, including colorism, might contribute to the gender wealth disparities between male and female Afrobeats performers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music is a core aspect of human experience/culture, functioning as one of humanity's oldest forms of communication. While music is a popular focus for many forms of scholarly inquiry, there is a relative lack of research on the topic of music genres and their impact. The present study helps address this gap in the literature, detailing a focused proof-of-concept, exploratory examination that uses psycholinguistic analysis to study how song lyrics are written. Specifically, the study uses integrative complexity, which assesses how information is processed and communicated, to compare structural differences in song lyrics across five genres - country, hip-hop/rap, rock, pop, and metal. The findings demonstrate significant complex differences across the groups, indicating that genre expectations play a marked role in how lyrics are conceptualized and structured. Alongside potential avenues for future research, possible cultural, historic, and demographic explanations for the witnessed linguistic patterns are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses an underexplored intersection between subtitling and translanguaging with reference to the representation of diverse Chinese fangyan in hip-hop music videos. Drawing on recent progress in the intersection between translanguaging and Translation Studies, the article sketches the multilingualism of the Han ethnic majority and its precarious existence under the governmental policy and language planning of China. Second, it contextualises the rising audibility and visibility of local speeches and non-standard writing in cinematic, metrolingual, and digital cultures. This highlights the social and technological conditions that enable culture creators and language users to practice novel representations of linguistic diversity and variations in the subtitling medium. Furthermore, the case-study analyses illustrate how Chinese hip-hop musicians assemble linguistic, multimodal, and multisemiotic resources to effect translanguaging performance across different communicational repertoires. The conclusion outlines the practical and theoretical implications of translanguaging subtitles for alternative media representations of linguacultural diversities in China and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the correlations between empirically-based preferencesfor architectural features and self-reported preferences for musical attributes. Altogether, 16 architectural attributes related to architectural complexity, indentation, symmetry, rhythm, pattern, and stress and 36 musical attributes of genres, perceived psychological attributes, Five Factors of Music, and 3-Factors are considered in the study, and their correlations are examined across 61 different demographic classes. In short, after gathering the data, Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis examined the existence of correlation, and Bonferroni correction screened the most reliable ones. Then, categorization and K-mean clustering methods summarized the outcomes to provide a holistic understanding of the discovered correlations. The former reflected a higher number of correlations within genre and FFM in music, and indentation, complexity, and symmetry in architecture. The latter presented interesting correlation trends, including between complicated music and complicated architecture, rap music and the existence of pattern in architecture, and mellow music and simple architectural forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Soziologie is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)