What do millennial rappers in the United States say in their music? This timely and compelling
book answers this question by decoding the lyrics of over 700 songs from contemporary rap
artists. Using innovative research techniques Matthew Oware reveals how emcees perpetuate and
challenge gendered and racialized constructions of masculinity femininity and sexuality. Male
and female artists litter their rhymes with misogynistic and violent imagery. However men also
express a full range of emotions from arrogance to vulnerability conveying a more complex
manhood than previously acknowledged. Women emphatically state their desires while embracing a
more feminist approach. Even LGBTQ artists stake their claim and express their sexuality
without fear. Finally in the age of Black Lives Matter and the presidency of Donald J. Trump
emcees forcefully politicize their music. Although complicated and contradictory in many ways
rap remains a powerful medium for social commentary.
