“Another Family Evicted, Another Black man a Victim”: A Literary Analysis of Parenthood in African American Male Rappers' Lyrics between 2012 and 2020

The present research examines the representations of parenthood in contemporary rap music, more specifically, by focusing on distinct family figures and relationships, such as the relationships that occur between a character and their father, mother, or children, as they are represented in the lyrics of Black American male rappers. The lyrical analysis of twenty records released between 2012 and 2020, evenly distributed between five artists, shows that rappers depict having positive relationships with their mothers and their children, while the relationships with the partners and paternal figures are depicted in different ways, based on an artist or character’s specific situation. In their portrayal of the aforementioned relationships, the rappers use a series of literary techniques. For example, instances of apostrophe occur in relation to the figures of the mother and the children, which produces an emotional setting in which the characters open up about their feelings. Furthermore, the relationships to partners and “baby mamas” are often used in the context of lyrical games reminiscent of the children’s game known as “the dozens”, as the rappers use extravagant metaphors in a codified display of bravado, braggadocio and masculinity. Overall, the findings suggest that rappers have enjoyed more artistic freedom since the development of internet streaming platforms, which allows them to bypass controlling record labels by self-releasing their creative content. This has allowed rappers to discuss their concerns more freely, including their fear of repeated cycles of poverty, father absenteeism and incarceration, without necessarily having to play into popular stereotypes for commercial purposes.