The Homegrown: Race, Rap and Class in London

This paper discusses the de-territorialization of racial and class identities that are facilitated by the globalization of popular culture. In particular, it focuses on how the globalization of rap music and hip hop culture impact the definitions of racial and class identity for black youth in the UK. The paper introduces the historical context of the black presence in the UK, examines the birth of UK rap and explores to which extent UK rap is Americanized. The author finds that hip hop has become a way to level out some of the differences among blacks in the UK.

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