Department or Program
Music
Abstract
Country and hip-hop music often are positioned as opposites, creating and reinforcing distinct identities that may oppose each other. Yet, there are several underlying narratives of identity that are similar between the two genres. This project examines the mutual constitution of country and hip-hop through the lens of country-rap crossover music, focusing on the American identities that come together with the crossing over of music genres and the development of identities that lie beyond the bounds of the individual genres. It considers how the interactions between such identities within music mirror contemporary societal discourse on social issues including race, gender, sexuality, and class. In this way, country-rap crossover has the capacity to promote understanding across differences. Crossover can be about reconciling what it means to be American, the music attempting to resolve the ambiguities and contradictions between rural and urban American identities. Country-rap and crossover broadly lend themselves to this purpose as dialogues between identity groups occur within it and are intrinsic to it. This thesis offers a critical analysis of such conversations through close readings of country-rap crossover songs like “Old Town Road” (2019), “My Truck” (2020), and “Nobody’s More Country” (2021).
Level of Access
Open Access
First Advisor
Chapman, Dale
Date of Graduation
5-2022
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Recommended Citation
Becker, Amanda Mai T., "“Nobody’s More Country”: Identity in Country-Rap Crossover Music" (2022). Honors Theses. 390.
https://scarab.bates.edu/honorstheses/390
Number of Pages
116
Components of Thesis
1 pdf file
Open Access
Available to all.