Background
The American Dream is the idea that a successful life entails economic freedom that comes as a product of hard work (Hanson and White 2011). Although the definition of The American Dream has evolved since the declaration of independence in1776, the roots of economic freedom, class mobility, and normative familial goals remains constant (Archer 2014; Bukowczyk 2016; Hanson and White 2011; Hanson and Zogby 2010; Hauhart 2015; Musick and Wilson 1998; Newman 2016; Wolak and Peterson 2020). The American Dream in its various form continues to serve as a motivational force for many individuals to work hard to achieve a good life. However, not everyone has equal opportunity and access to resources to realize the dream. Systemic discrimination that limits individual agency continues to work against people in certain social categories that defer from the normative standards (Alexander 2020; Bonnette 2015; Howell and Caisey 2019; Messner, Rosenfeld, and Hövermann 2019; Musick and Wilson 1998; Newman 2016; Omi and Winant 2014).
The poster below symbolizes the traditional means of achieving the American Dream through hard work. (Union Labor Built the American Dream by DonkeyHotey from Flickr.)
While avenues like sports, media, and entertainment offer paths toward the American Dream (Adeyemo 2022), challenges persist, prompting individuals to seek alternative routes to success. For some, the music industry, particularly through rap, emerges as a potential pathway (Cloonan and Williamson 2023; Foster 2014; Shapiro 2023). Music, as a societal mirror and a tool of protest, holds significant influence (Lule 2016; Martinez 2015). The mass influence music has on society reshapes or reinforces societal norms, especially through times of social change. Both hip-hop and rock and roll music are noted as agents of social change that reshape race and stereotypes’ ideologies through representation and expression of experiences. Therefore, the inclusion of music in research, to act as a voice of the public, highlights a diverse perception and commentary to social events and phenomena that deviates from the norm in society.