Celebration of The Dream
The achievement of the legitimate goal was a common theme throughout all rap songs. This reflects the component of success that is associated with the American dream. The ability to achieve the institutional goal as a person of color (Omi and Winant 2014), untraditional form of work (Cloonan and Williamson 2023) and deviating from the normative category of white males (Bukowczyk 2016; Hanson and White 2011), sheds new light on attainability. Although the dream is recognized as unattainable to those who face systemic barriers, rap artists reframe this belief and carve new pathways to success.
The image below highlights a form of success for rap artists. The accumulation and support of fans demonstrate credibility and high status for the rap artists. (Silhouette of Fans Clapping at Concert by Adam Cohn from Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 )
64% of female rap artists and 57% of male rap artists mentioned at least one kind of recognition of winning, that manifested by celebration, pride, or confidence. Although female rap artists talked more about achievement, how both male and female rap artists talked about their achievements was similar. There were mentions of success through self-recognition and fulfillment like Nipsey Hussle, 2019 winner, “ask me how I feel Successful street n*** touchin’ them first mils” (Asghedom, E. 2018. Grinding all my life. Atlantic Records.) This direct reflection from overcoming struggle to being a “successful” man captures the essence of most rap music. Through hard work and grinding, success is possible. The formula to success, framed, by the American dream (Archer 2014; Bukowczyk 2016) becomes upheld by the rap artists further pushing the ideals of success and visibility.
The chart below highlights the percentage of female songs showing mentions of success in songs
The chart below highlights the percentage of male songs showing mentions of success in songs
Celebration and success are noted in other forms as well, as it is a core component of rap music (Zutshi 2023). Female rap artists framed their success mostly surrounding confidence, Cardi B, a 2017 Nominee, says “They see pictures, they say, “Goals,” bitch, I’m who they tryna be” (Almanzar, B. 2017. Bodak Yellow. Atlantic Records). Referencing other women who look up to her success. The framing of her success as “goals” demonstrates her confidence in her achievements. While simultaneously suggesting influence, the reference to other women also recognizing her success warrants her celebration for being this leader because of her success. In contrast, Nicki Minaj, 2011 Nominee, highlights “I ain’t gotta get a plaque, I ain’t gotta get awards I just walk up out the door all the girls will applaud” (Miraj-Petty, O. 2010. I’m the best. Young Money, Cash Money Republic). Suggesting celebration of achievements and reinforcing self-fulfillment. The recognition and celebration of her achievements illustrate the American dream of feeling fulfilled within one’s achievements (Hanson and White 2011). This type of acknowledgment of success remains consistent among both male and female rap artists, both reinforce the celebration that is tied with achieving the American dream and declaring status.
Aligned with celebration, there were several songs among both male and female rap artists that used the examples of notable media outlets to highlight and recognize accomplishments. Among the 6 songs that noted this, 2 were from male rap artists and 4 were from female rap artists. The way their success was framed was through well-known media sources that relayed the message of being successful and being proud of their accomplishments. Kash Doll, 2019 nominee, highlights, “Ive been winnin’ awards, I’ve been touchin’ the streets. Did you hear what I said on BET?” To display achievement (Knight, A. 2018. KD’s Diary. Republic Records). The self-reflection of accomplishments frames her confessional as prideful while simultaneously establishing success for herself and her fans. Similarly, Roddy Ricch, 2020 nominee, states “Thirty before thirty, I been settin’ trends. Hop on the Forbes, I hop on the Forbes, I hop on the Forbes” directly naming another media outlet (Moore, R. 2019. Intro. Bird Vision). The name-dropping serves not only as self-recognition but as an act of creditability to establish success. In both examples, male and female rap artists use notable sources to uplift themselves but also celebrate their own success which translates to the audience as celebrating the overcoming of challenges in the music industry. The ability to celebrate and recognize their own achievements despite facing challenges encapsulates the meaning of many rap songs. The framing of success is tied to achievements that symbolize “making it” and reinforce the institutional goals of the American dream.
The ThingLink below serves as an example of my coding of lyrics to highlight themes of success with attention to credible media sources: (Kash Doll, KD Diary 2018, 2019 Nominee)
The ThingLink below serves as an example of my coding of lyrics to highlight themes of success with attention to credible media sources: (Roddy Ricch, Intro 2019, 2020 Nominee)