Is There a Heaven for a Gangsta? : Hip Hop, Spirituality, and Heaven

A content analysis was conducted on the lyrics of 24 Hip Hop songs to identify how Black male Hip Hop artists discuss heaven. The songs were released between 1993 and 2015 and phenomenology was the theoretical foundation on which the themes were identified. I propose that Black Hip Hop artists create a heaven that reflects their own experiences, values, and traditions, envision a heaven where the weak and oppressed receive vindication from the indignities suffered on earth as well as a way to connect with dead loved ones. Essentially, Black Hip Hop artists’ expressions of heaven acknowledge racial experiences, demonstrates their belief in God and/or a Higher Power, as well as their need to communicate with God and/or a Higher Power. Furthermore, Black male Hip Hop artists’ expressions of heaven highlight their need to seek the direction of God and/or a Higher Power, motivates them to create positive change in their communities, and perceive heaven and/or the afterlife in ways that are based on their earthly relationships and experiences. This study was led by the following two questions: (1) How is heaven described by Black male artists in Hip Hop? (2) How do Black male Hip Hop artists conceptualizations of heaven shape their perceptions of earthly experiences? An analysis of the 24 Hip Hop lyrics revealed Black male Hip Hop artists described heaven in the following five ways: (a) Heaven as Superior to Earth; (b) Heaven as the Ultimate Reward; (c) Heaven as Reunification with Loved Ones; (d) Heaven as Segregated; (e) Heaven as Synonymous with Sensual Love. Qualitative examples are provided to support each of the aforementioned themes

Foreword

Foreword

Typologies of Black Male Sensitivity in R&B and Hip Hop

A qualitative content analysis was conducted on the lyrics of 79 R&B and Hip Hop songs from 1956-2013 to identify the ways that these Black male artists expressed sensitivity. The songs were determined by Billboard Chart Research Services, and Phenomenology provided the theoretical foundation on which the themes were identified. Qualitative analysis of the lyrics revealed Black male sensitivity in R&B and Hip Hop to be based on the following four typologies: (a) Private Sensitivity; (b) Partnered Sensitivity; (c) Perceptive Sensitivity; and (d) Public Sensitivity. Private Sensitivity occurred when the Black male is alone; feels lonely; disguises or hides his tears from his romantic partner or others; and expresses a determination to not cry and/or continue crying. Partnered Sensitivity occurred when the Black male encourages and/or connects with his romantic partner, other men, and/or members of the Black community through crying. Perceptive Sensitivity was demonstrated when Black men acknowledge the tears shed by others, and shed tears themselves while being conscious of society\u27s expectation that men suppress emotion and/or refrain from crying. Public Sensitivity was exemplified when the Black male cries publicly and verbally expresses that he does not care what others think of him. Qualitative examples are provided to support each of the aforementioned themes

Hip Hop, Religion and the Youth of Romania: A Preliminary Study

For the past two decades, Hip Hop has attained a significant presence in Romania. The fall of Communism as well as growing social unrest has led a growing number of Hip Hop artists to incorporate strong Orthodox and nationalist messages into their lyrics. However, not all Hip Hop fans advocate this stance. This essay argues for an investigation of how Romanian youth respond to the religious and spiritual lyrics in Hip Hop. This mixed-methods study examines whether Romanian youth gravitate toward spiritual-oriented messages or religious-oriented messages and are thus, hardcore listeners or casual listeners. The results of the study highlight Romanian youth’s support of religious/spiritual Hip Hop as well as the ability of religion to foster tolerance

Introduction: Ain’t It Evil to Live Backwards? : A Hip Hop Perspective of Religion

Historically, Black religion has been the cornerstone of the African experience in America. Due to the peculiar institution” of slavery and the ways this institutional residue still affect the lives of slave descendants, Hip Hop provides a forum to simultaneously acknowledge similarities and highlight differences. What scholars of religion and Hip Hop studies have revealed are the ways in which the effectiveness and our very understanding of “religion” changes when we bring Hip Hop in to the mix

The Hip in Hip Hop: Toward a Discipline of Hip Hop Studies

Editorial

I\u27d Rather Be with Them Than Doing Anything Else : Kobe Bryant\u27s Status as the MVP of Girl\u27s Dads

Over 40 years ago, Cazenave (1979) provided one of the first scholarly examinations of how middle-income Black fathers defined the provider role. Since that time, scholars have studied the realities of biological and social fathers (Coles et al., 2010; Connor & White, 2006; Hamer, 2001, 1997; McDougal III & George III, 2016; Ransaw, 2017), as well as the relationship between fathering and sport (Fletcher, 2020). This qualitative work examined the words the late Kobe Bryant (January 23, 1978-January 26, 2020) used to describe his role as father to four daughters. To determine the underlying messages behind Bryant\u27s words, I used Phenomenology as the theoretical framework. Qualitative analysis of the words featured in the article, Kobe Bryant\u27s 10 Most Touching Quotes on Fatherhood and Raising Daughters By Emily Cavanaugh (February 25, 2020) revealed three themes: (1) Bryant made being a present father a priority; (2) Bryant publicly praised his late daughter Gianna and her sisters; and (3) Bryant saw himself as a role model to children. Most important, Bryant\u27s fame and status in professional basketball along with his narratives regarding being a father to daughters is a strong, enduring counter narrative to the absent Black father trope that is common in society. The work also discussed the reasons why in light of the rape scandal Kobe Bryant is a good role model. Implications for how fatherhood will shape the Bryant legacy will be discussed

Perspective: Advancing spectator behavior research in youth sports through a closer examination of racial differences

Inappropriate spectator behaviors are a recognized challenge within both amateur and youth sport settings. These behaviors occur during youth sports contests and involve several sources of interaction, and impact the experience of child athletes, coaches, parents, and referees Spectator misconduct reflects a failure to self-regulate amidst disagreement with the coaching practices, officials, and poor performance from children. Despite widespread recognition of spectator misconduct and an emphasis by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to improve parent behavior, limited empirical research is available to promote understanding of both contributors to these actions, more specifically, what parents are observing from others and the frequency of such behaviors. A path to enhance research in this area is a closer examination of intersectionality, especially race and its influence upon parent observations and their personal behaviors as youth sport spectators. Based on research conducted in Louisiana, this perspective piece reflects on a study that found race as a contributing factor to differences in spectating behaviors of parents. The authors unpack the nuances of these findings through a lens of both Critical Race Theory (CRT) and implicit bias and provide a platform for future study, especially in states such as Louisiana where laws and the role of police have been advanced to mitigate spectator behaviors in youth sport settings