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Reppin’ the Ghetto: Space and Identity


Author(s) : Ken Lipenga
Pop Music, Culture and Identity

Abstract


The premise of this chapter is based on the tendency among rap artists to sing about the places they come from. In Malawian rap, there is a recurrent reference to the ghetto, with the rappers claiming they are singing as a way of representing this space. The chapter explores the different nuances that the ghetto attains in the music, showing that despite the constant references to the ghetto, the rappers hold divergent attitudes about it. These include emphases on the need to escape the ghetto, the need for politicians to recognise and develop the ghetto, or the celebration of the ghetto as a formative space.


Original language en
Pages (from-to) 111-131
Publication status Published - 2023

Access document

10.1007/978-3-031-15251-1_6

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https://www.springer.com/tdm
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Access document

10.1007/978-3-031-15251-1_6

License

https://www.springer.com/tdm