SPOTLIGHT: “What Would I Look Like?” Hip Hop and Black Placemaking Study

Written By Sarah Bowker

In-depth interviews with 25 self-defined rap/hip-hop artists explore the significance of place in modern hip-hop. Bringing together historical studies of hip-hop and sociological neighborhood studies, the authors examine how exposure to concentrated disadvantage shapes hip-hop artists’ community connections.

Findings reveal that exposure to concentrated racial and economic disadvantage shapes how artists interpret community, artistic impact, and social responsibility. This supports the “black placemaking” framework, which highlights how black urban neighborhood residents creatively build community amid structural disadvantage. The analysis also elucidates the role specific types of physical places play in black placemaking processes.

“What Would I Look Like?”: How Exposure to Concentrated Disadvantage Shapes Hip-Hop Artists’ Connections to Community was published in Volume 6, Issue 1 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity. Authored by Sarah Becker and Castel Sweet

  • Timeframe to Complete Project: 1-3 years

  • Cost Range: varies

  • Keywords: Community & Cultural Assessments, Planning, Advanced, Community Engagement, BIPOC, Diversity, Black Placemaking, sense of place, research

Click on the button below to download the study.

Sarah Bowker
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