Rap in the Chicana/o Culture

In chapter three, “The Versus of the Godfather” in the book Next of Kin: the Family in Chicano/a Culture Politics Richard Rodriguez discusses about the Chicana/o rap culture. Chicano rap or rap in general is a form of identity that helps in individuals express themselves throughout their lyrics. In Rodriguez’s book, he examines how Chicano and Latino rap addresses certain political and working class identity in the rap culture frame. He mentions how a popular culture forms such as rap can help “empowerment…within an everyday context” (Rodriguez, 96). Chicano and African American rap music share almost the same characteristics within their lyrics because they discusses about different aspects and narratives of their communities that they address throughout their music. However, Chicano rap is not as popular African American. On the contrast, Chicano Rap involves ties within family context as well through rap family narratives that impacts both black and Chicano culture. Rodriguez focuses on how the aspect of family is integrated into the art of rap kinship of gender and heterosexuality that are composed into the rap. It was interested to see how Rodriguez also discusses how Rap is an important aspect of the Chicano culture. Chicano rap incorporates historical and contemporary issues like the Chicano movements or current movements regarding the culture. Rodriguez mentions how “the evolution and dissemination of Chicano rap necessarily entails understanding the social phenomena that motivate and influence popular culture’s content and form” (Rodriguez, 104). Chicano rap or hip-hop culture demonstrate how the “power of the culture nationalism “ and the dominance of others towards “la Raza”. In the Chicano rap also focuses incorporates poetic aspect that about culture nationalism in the songs. On the contrary, Chicano rap revolve surrounds the aspect of family because of the struggles and unity “discourse to consistently involve it for the sake of political though and mobilization” (Rodriguez,133). Chicano hip-hop describes the content of family into their rap because Rodriguez empathizes the important of family kinship that is written and said in the music that involves Chicana/o family aspects. As a result, while reading Rodriguez’s text, I have thought a lot Chicano rap in present day, I come to think that Chicano rap is not heard as much as other hip-hops music. Do you think Chicana/o rap is not popular like other rap music because it involves a lot of the culture aspect or family kinship?

3 thoughts on “Rap in the Chicana/o Culture

  1. Hi Kelsey,
    To answer your question,
    I think Chicana/o Rap isn’t heard of as much due other cultures/races not understanding the meaning of Chicano/a Rap. Many people will listen but not understand what it might mean. so maybe bringing awareness to the meaning of Chicana/o Rap can help the acknowledgement of Chicana/o Rap.

  2. Hi Kelsey.

    I believe that Chicana/o rap is not well known in pop culture is because these rappers do not sell out. They prefer to use music as an outlet for discourse to express the world around them. I have a feeling that these rappers prefer to use music in a positive, even if they risk the chance of fame or money. I appreciate people like them because it is not always about the money; sometimes, it is about the truth.

  3. Hey Kelsey

    I agree with you, i don’t really hear Chicano rap on radio or media sources and i have recently thought that maybe Chicana/o rap is not as popular because people don’t request it on media sources such as radio. Maybe if people started requesting these song it could get attention and popularity very quick.

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