Results and Discussion
The American Dream hold various definitions and has fluctuated by year, class, and gender (Glauber 2018; Hanson and White 2011; Wolak and Peterso 2020). From previous studies that examine the definitions and perceptions of the American Dream, there has been notable patterns of shifts (Archer 2014; Bukowczyk 2016; Hanson and Zogby 2010; Musick and Wilson 1998; Newman 2016; Wolak and Peterson 2020). The differences are noted through symbols that are associated with the dream such as houses, cars, family, and money, but also through belief in the dream as it feels unattainable to some. The associations with the American Dream were evident in the collection of rap songs. Among the collection of all 79 rappers (39 female and 40 male) there were 76 rappers of color. Of the 3 that were not people of color, 1 female rapper was Australian, 2 male rappers were white, and 13 rappers (9 female and 4 male) were biracial. The various themes that emerged were associated with the definition of the dream, attaining the dream, and celebration of the dream. The inclusion of race becomes a crucial identity to note not only because rap is a predominately black genre, but also because of the systemic oppression that works against people of color from attaining the institutional goal of the American Dream.