POPULAR-CULTURE AS OPPOSITIONAL CULTURE - RAP AS RESISTANCE

Bonnie Mitchell and Joe Feagin (1995) build on the theory of oppositio nal culture, arguing that African Americans, American Indians, and Mex ican Americans draw on their own cultural resources to resist oppressi on under internal colonialism. In this paper, rap music is identified as all important African American popular cultural from that also emer ges as a form of oppositional culture. A brief analysis of the lyrics of political and gangsta rappers of the late 1980s and early 1990s, pr ovides key themes of distrust, anger, resistance, and critique of a pe rceived racist and discriminatory society. Rap music is discussed as m usic with a message of resistance, empowerment, and social critique, a nd as a herald of the Los Angeles riots of 1992.