Presenters
Abstract
Since the release of N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” (SOC) in 1988, gangsta rap has captivated cultural discourse. Although scholars have studied the genre from numerous theoretical standpoints, few have examined its texts through structural linguists. This article is a pseudo-paradigmatic analysis that attempts to identify the typical characters, themes, narratives, and oppositions of gangsta rap. To that end I use a hybrid of the structural analytic models of Claude Levi-Strauss, Vladimir Propp, and Will Wright. This is not a comprehensive morphology of all rap lyrics, rather it is a selective classification of prototypical elements generally found in gangsta rap. I make no claim that the structures categorized here are finite or static, or that they can fully explain the lyrics or the social impact of gangsta rap music on audiences. Instead this is an attempt to organize the ingredients and recipes of one of the most influential and popular musical genres through a structural analysis of its seminal texts. My goal is for this work to help organize and motivate future scholarship.