Thug Life

Hip-hop is a global phenomenon and a massively successful corporate enterprise predominantly controlled and consumed by whites, while the most prominent performers are black. How does this affect our understanding of contemporary hip-hop? Do black listeners interpret hip-hop differently from white fans? The author finds answers by interviewing everyday people. Instead of turning to performers or media critics, this focuses on the music’s fans, both black and white, and the resulting account offers an unbiased examination of how hip-hop works in people’s daily lives.