{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/134243"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/134243","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The Conceptualization of Gender and Race in Rap Music: Its Impact on the Political Engagement of Black Women","abstract":"This thesis explores the underexamined relationship between rap music and the political engagement of Black women, using theories of Black feminist thought: Intersectionality and hip-hop feminism. Rather than seeking a definitive or binary conclusion, the research examines the complexity of how rap influences cultural representation, resistance, and political engagement. Through in depth analysis, several key findings emerged: the burden of responsibility Black women often carry in political spaces; their role as activist and advocates; the empowering representation of rap as a tool for identity and resistance agency and ownership over the narrative of Black womanhood; rap as a reflection of lived experience; the commodification and oversexualization of Black women within the genre, media literacy, and the development of political consciousness. These findings reveal that Black women's political engagement when interacting with rap is filled with contradictions and complexities as a result of this cultural expression and representation. Therefore, rap music emerges as a powerful site for negotiating and navigating identity and articulating socio-political realities. This presents an underrepresented factor in the political engagement of Black women.","abstract_html":"This thesis explores the underexamined relationship between rap music and the political engagement of Black women, using theories of Black feminist thought: Intersectionality and hip-hop feminism. Rather than seeking a definitive or binary conclusion, the research examines the complexity of how rap influences cultural representation, resistance, and political engagement. Through in depth analysis, several key findings emerged: the burden of responsibility Black women often carry in political spaces; their role as activist and advocates; the empowering representation of rap as a tool for identity and resistance agency and ownership over the narrative of Black womanhood; rap as a reflection of lived experience; the commodification and oversexualization of Black women within the genre, media literacy, and the development of political consciousness. These findings reveal that Black women's political engagement when interacting with rap is filled with contradictions and complexities as a result of this cultural expression and representation. Therefore, rap music emerges as a powerful site for negotiating and navigating identity and articulating socio-political realities. This presents an underrepresented factor in the political engagement of Black women.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Osei-Bonsu, Audrey"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Political Science","degree_department":"Political Science","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Faulkner, Brandy S."],"committee_members":["Jalalzai, Farida","Poets, Desiree"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-05-27","date_published":"2025-05-27","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:29Z","subjects":[": Rap","Gender","Race","Black feminist thought","Hip hop feminism","Political Engagement","Empowerment","Resistance","Misogyny"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:44040"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:44040","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/134243","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Faulkner, Brandy S."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Jalalzai, Farida","Poets, Desiree"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Political Science"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Osei-Bonsu, Audrey"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-05-28T08:00:46Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-05-28T08:00:46Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-05-27"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Political Science"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":[": Rap","Gender","Race","Black feminist thought","Hip hop feminism","Political Engagement","Empowerment","Resistance","Misogyny"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:44040"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/134243"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis explores the underexamined relationship between rap music and the political engagement of Black women, using theories of Black feminist thought: Intersectionality and hip-hop feminism. Rather than seeking a definitive or binary conclusion, the research examines the complexity of how rap influences cultural representation, resistance, and political engagement. Through in depth analysis, several key findings emerged: the burden of responsibility Black women often carry in political spaces; their role as activist and advocates; the empowering representation of rap as a tool for identity and resistance agency and ownership over the narrative of Black womanhood; rap as a reflection of lived experience; the commodification and oversexualization of Black women within the genre, media literacy, and the development of political consciousness. These findings reveal that Black women's political engagement when interacting with rap is filled with contradictions and complexities as a result of this cultural expression and representation. Therefore, rap music emerges as a powerful site for negotiating and navigating identity and articulating socio-political realities. This presents an underrepresented factor in the political engagement of Black women."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["Rap music is more than just a cultural phenomenon, but a tool of self-expression and political resistance for marginalized communities whose place in society has been subjected to racial and gendered discrimination and or ostracized. This thesis explores the underexamined relationship between rap music and the political engagement of Black women, using theories of Black feminist thought: Intersectionality and hip-hop feminism. Rather than seeking a definitive or binary conclusion, the research examines the complexity of how rap influences cultural representation, resistance, and political engagement. Through in depth analysis, several key findings emerged: the burden of responsibility Black women often carry in political spaces; their role as activist and advocates; the empowering representation of rap as a tool for identity and resistance agency and ownership over the narrative of Black womanhood; rap as a reflection of lived experience; the commodification and oversexualization of Black women within the genre, media literacy, and the development of political consciousness. These findings reveal that Black women's political engagement when interacting with rap is filled with contradictions and complexities because of this cultural expression and representation. Therefore, rap music emerges as a powerful site for negotiating and navigating identity and articulating socio-political realities. This presents an underrepresented factor in the political engagement of Black women."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Arts"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Conceptualization of Gender and Race in Rap Music: Its Impact on the Political Engagement of Black Women"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Faulkner, Brandy S."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Jalalzai, Farida","Poets, Desiree"],"dc:contributor.department":["Political Science"],"dc:creator":["Osei-Bonsu, Audrey"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-05-28T08:00:46Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-05-28T08:00:46Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-05-27"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis explores the underexamined relationship between rap music and the political engagement of Black women, using theories of Black feminist thought: Intersectionality and hip-hop feminism. 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Through in depth analysis, several key findings emerged: the burden of responsibility Black women often carry in political spaces; their role as activist and advocates; the empowering representation of rap as a tool for identity and resistance agency and ownership over the narrative of Black womanhood; rap as a reflection of lived experience; the commodification and oversexualization of Black women within the genre, media literacy, and the development of political consciousness. These findings reveal that Black women's political engagement when interacting with rap is filled with contradictions and complexities because of this cultural expression and representation. Therefore, rap music emerges as a powerful site for negotiating and navigating identity and articulating socio-political realities. This presents an underrepresented factor in the political engagement of Black women."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Arts"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:44040"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/134243"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":[": Rap","Gender","Race","Black feminist thought","Hip hop feminism","Political Engagement","Empowerment","Resistance","Misogyny"],"dc:title":["The Conceptualization of Gender and Race in Rap Music: Its Impact on the Political Engagement of Black Women"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Political Science"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:29Z"}