Conclusions
The results of the study revealed that money, lavish lifestyles, and gendered traits are all facets of the American dream, embraced by both male and female rap artists. While both genders expressed a desire for wealth, female rap artists often considered having men fund their lifestyles as part of their manifestation of lavishness. Furthermore, traditional masculine traits, such as the pursuit of icon status, were more pronounced among male rap artists, contrasting with the female rap artists’ emphasis on mentoring other women in the rap game rather than just seeking fame. Despite these differences, both male and female rap songs conveyed a sense of struggle and persistence. Male rap artists tended to emphasize their hardships and aspirations for a better life more prominently. However, both genders similarly framed success as a cause for celebration. Male rap artists often focused on self-recognition and fulfillment, while female rap artists exhibited more confidence in themselves. Interestingly, female rap artists frequently cited specific credible media outlets to validate their success compared to male rap artists.
The picture below captures the major theme of money in rap songs. The role money plays in desire and motivation is directly linked to the American Dream. (Money by Pictures of Money from Flickr. CC BY 2.0 )
The lens of anomie theory, which considers alternate pathways to achieve the American dream, sheds light on the narratives of these rap artists (Merton 2002). Their experiences underscore the importance of intersectionality and critical race theory in understanding innovative approaches to success (Omi and Winant 2014; Crenshaw 2017). The transparency of goals throughout both female and male rap songs emphasize the upholding of the institutional approved goal because they preach about manifestations of the dream. Simultaneously, the transparency of struggle highlights the presence of systemic oppression through confessionals of inadequate housing and financial hardships. While there were many similarities between both female and male rap artists, the differences were noted to correlate with intersectionality. Female rap artists voiced the issues of pressure and frustration to consistently act as mentors for other women. This highlighted the inclusion of intersectionality as female rap artists note they are not only disadvantaged financially but also overlooked in the music industry posing two separate barriers from either end. The proposal of a solution being male endorsement was highly compelling as it combats financial insecurity, but also reinforces the stereotypical notion of needing a man to support women financially. While systemic oppression poses challenges that affect one’s ability of achieving the traditional goal, the rap artists’ ability to navigate and achieve success despite these barriers reinforces the possibility of the American dream through alternative avenues. These challenges reinforce the stereotypical associations of economic success and status symbols, prompting audiences to confront issues of poverty and systemic oppression (Bukowczyk 2016; Hanson and White 2011; Hanson and Zogby 2010). Ultimately, their stories illustrate Merton’s innovative approach to achieving the American dream and the potential for alternative pathways to success. Through the means of the rap industry, both female and male rap artists are able to attain the institutional goal of the American dream, highlighted in their songs.
The image below symbolizes the alternative route rap artists’ take to achieve the American Dream. Because the path they have chosen is untraditional it falls under the innovative approach of using alternative means. (Alternative Route by Duncan Cumming from Flickr. CC BY-NC 2.0 )
There were minor limitations within this study. Because of colloquial or unfamiliar terms, extra research was warranted in order to accurately analyze the lyrics. For future research, I suggest having a broad understanding of colloquial terms and how they evolve. Another limitation came from the difficulty in accessing female rap songs as they are not as widely recognized or ranked highly on popular charts. This challenge prompted me to use the BET Awards as it acknowledges females in their own category. Unfortunately, this poses the potential issue of selection bias based on popularity and selective artists who avoid social commentary. Future research should consider this as a limitation when researching rhetoric surrounding the American Dream. Furthermore, with consideration of expansion, I recommend researching less mainstream rap artists to compare the rhetoric surrounding the American dream to the accredited rap artists in this study.