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Exploring a group of black female rap artists’ experiences in the South African hip-hop community
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2024
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| _version_ | 1867613759024922624 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Weppelman, Kaylon |
| author2 | Van Wyk, Sherine |
| author_browse | Van Wyk, Sherine Weppelman, Kaylon |
| author_facet | Van Wyk, Sherine Weppelman, Kaylon |
| author_sort | Weppelman, Kaylon |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130180 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:14.564Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130180 Exploring a group of black female rap artists’ experiences in the South African hip-hop community Weppelman, Kaylon Van Wyk, Sherine Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Psychology. Women in popular culture Rap musicians -- Mental health Femininity in music Hip-hop Male domination (Social structure) -- South Africa Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Previous research conducted in Tanzania and the United States have focused on the experiences of Black female rappers. Yet, in the South African literature, the experiences of Black female rappers have received minimal attention. Most of the information regarding the experiences of Black female rappers in South Africa seems to be online blog posts; usually during Women’s month that tends to focus on their adverse experiences in the maledominated Hip Hop industry. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of a group of Black female rappers in the South African Hip Hop industry and how they use their music to challenge gendered norms. Further aims were to investigate the nature of their experiences of social support and how the rappers use their music to promote empowerment. Nine self-identified Black female rappers in the South African Hip Hop industry participated in this study. This study was conducted within an interpretivist research paradigm, and I used the Black Women’s Standpoint Theory and Intersectionality theory as a lens to understand their experiences. I collected the data by means of online individual in-depth semi-structured interviews and used thematic analysis to analyse the data inductively with ATLAS.ti software. I received ethical approval for this study by Stellenbosch University’s Research Ethics Committee. From the data, I identified four key themes: (1) “Males feel like they own the industry”, (2) Gender Matters in Hip Hop, (3) Support in Hip Hop, and (4) Empowerment: “My music is just to heal, inspire and educate”. The participants described how their gender and other identities matter in the South African Hip Hop industry. They emphasised the existing power dynamics where males have more access to resources, how some males abuse their power, the rigid femininity ideals and objectification of female bodies that exists in Hip Hop and broader society. Social support among the rappers included emotional support and a sense of encouragement. Even though many of the rappers identified support among the female rappers, and how certain male counterparts offered support, a few also noted the rivalry and a lack of camaraderie that exists among female rappers. The rappers related how they use their music and platforms as a tool to empower the youth through education and inspiration. Additionally, they spoke about their own cathartic experiences of Hip Hop to shed light on the importance of mental wellbeing and emotional regulation. The findings of this study provide deeper insight into the experiences of a group of Black female rappers in the South African Hip Hop industry. This study illustrates the various barriers females face in the industry and how they effectively deal with the barriers. The https://scholar.sun.ac.za 3 rappers’ awareness of gendered norms, rigid femininity ideals and the impact of intersectional identities is portrayed in their music. Thus, they use their music to speak back to the gendered norms in this society. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate the agency and resilience among female rappers in the industry; how they demonstrate supportive acts towards other females in the industry and how they use their own adverse experiences to empower others. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Terwyl vorige navorsing in Tanzanië en die Verenigde State inligting oor die ervarings van swart vroulike rappers verskaf, blyk dit dat die ervarings van Swart vroulike rappers in SuidAfrika minimale aandag geniet. Meeste van die inligting oor die ervarings van Swart vroulike rappers in Suid-Afrika blyk aanlyn blogplasings te wees; gewoonlik gedurende Vrouemaand wat neig om op hul ongunstige ervarings in die manlike dominante Hip Hop industrie te fokus. Die doel van hierdie kwalitatiewe studie was om die ervarings van 'n groep swart vroulike rappers in die Suid-Afrikaanse Hip Hop-industrie te verken en hoe hulle hul musiek gebruik om geslagsnorme uit te daag. Verdere doelwitte was om die aard van hul ervarings van sosiale ondersteuning te verstaan en hoe diè rappers hul musiek gebruik om bemagtiging te bevorder. Nege self-geidentifiseerde swart vroulike rappers in die Suid-Afrikaanse Hip Hop bedryf het aan hierdie studie deelgeneem. Hierdie studie is binne ‘n interpretivistiese navorsingsparadigma uitgevoer en ek het die Swart Vroue se Standpunt- en Interseksionaliteitsteorie as ‘n lens gebruik om hul ervarings te verstaan. Ek het die data deur middel van aanlyn individuele in-diepte semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude ingesamel en tematiese analise gebruik om die data induktief met ATLAS.ti sagteware te ontleed. Ek het etiese goedkeuring vir hierdie studie van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch se Navorsingsetiekkomitee ontvang. Uit die data het ek vier sleuteltemas geidentifiseer: (1) “Mans voel asof hulle die bedryf besit”, (2) Geslag maak saak in Hip Hop, (3) Ondersteuning in Hip Hop, en (4) Bemagtiging: “My musiek is net werklik om te genees, te inspireer en op te voed.” Die deelnemers het beskryf hoe hul geslag en ander identiteite in die Suid-Afrikaanse Hip Hop-industrie saak maak. Hulle het die bestaande magsdinamika beklemtoon waar mans meer toegang tot hulpbronne het, hoe sommige mans hul mag misbruik, die rigiede vroulikheidsideale en objektivering van vroulike liggame wat in Hip Hop en die breër samelewing bestaan. Sosiale ondersteuning onder die rappers het emosionele ondersteuning en ‘n gevoel van aanmoediging ingesluit. Alhoewel meeste van die rappers ondersteuning onder die vroulike rappers geidentifiseer het en hoe sekere manlike kollegas hulle ondersteuning gebied het, het ‘n paar ook oor die wedywering tussen die vroulike rappers en hoe daar ‘n gebrek aan kameraadskap onder hulle is, gepraat. Die rappers het vertel hoe hulle hul musiek gebruik om die jeug te bemagtig deur opvoeding en inspirasie. Verder het hulle https://scholar.sun.ac.za 5 ook oor hul eie katartiese ervarings van Hip Hop gepraat en hoe dit belangrik vir geestesgesondheid en emosionele welstand is. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie bied dieper insig oor die ervarings van swart vroulike rappers in die Suid-Afrikaanse Hip Hop-industrie. Hierdie studie illustreer die verskillende struikelblokke wat vroue in die bedryf ondervind en hoe hulle die hindernisse effektief hanteer. Die rappers se bewustheid van geslagsnorme, rigiede vroulikheidsideale en die impak van interseksionele identiteite word in hul musiek uitgebeeld. Dus, hierdie vroulike rappers gebruik hul musiek om teen die tradisionele geslagsnorme in die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing terug te praat. Verder demonstreer die bevindinge die agentskap en verkragtigheid onder vroulike rappers in die bedryf; hoe hulle ondersteunende optrede teenoor ander vroue in die bedryf toon en hoe hulle hul eie ongunstige ervarings gebruik om ander te bemagtig. Masters 2024-03-04T06:32:05Z 2024-04-26T08:13:21Z 2024-03-04T06:32:05Z 2024-04-26T08:13:21Z 2024-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130180 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 186 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Women in popular culture Rap musicians -- Mental health Femininity in music Hip-hop Male domination (Social structure) -- South Africa Weppelman, Kaylon Exploring a group of black female rap artists’ experiences in the South African hip-hop community |
| title | Exploring a group of black female rap artists’ experiences in the South African hip-hop community |
| title_full | Exploring a group of black female rap artists’ experiences in the South African hip-hop community |
| title_fullStr | Exploring a group of black female rap artists’ experiences in the South African hip-hop community |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring a group of black female rap artists’ experiences in the South African hip-hop community |
| title_short | Exploring a group of black female rap artists’ experiences in the South African hip-hop community |
| title_sort | exploring a group of black female rap artists experiences in the south african hip hop community |
| topic | Women in popular culture Rap musicians -- Mental health Femininity in music Hip-hop Male domination (Social structure) -- South Africa |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130180 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT weppelmankaylon exploringagroupofblackfemalerapartistsexperiencesinthesouthafricanhiphopcommunity |