Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Representation of Social Groups

Class: My product represents people in very different groups in Maslow’s Hierarchy, as the artist are very often presented to follow the ‘from rags to riches’ situation. So they would start of in the physiological level, and work their way up all the way to Esteem and self-actualization. So due to the ‘rags to riches’ narrative, the artists represented in my magazine gain wealth and status symbols like their expensive chains, cars clothes… But they also stay true to their roots, which is shown through things like the graffiti

Gender: With very few exception, the genre Rap/Hip-Hop focuses very much on men. For example skater, graffiti sprayer or rappers, are normally men. Most ofthese people, who belong in these groups, are normally seen as rebels, or people, who very often disagree with the system. In many hip- hop magazines women are objectified and shown through the male gaze. The hegemonic theory that women can’t be rappers is shown through out the rap scene, with only very few female rappers existing. In my magazine I have also not included any female artists, which highlights this theory. On the other hand I promoted the male artists as being very powerful and dominate.

Race: Due to African American suffering from racial prejudice, many still find them living in ghettos or cheap housing estates, which is were many great rappers also grew up. So the product also focuses on African Americans, to make the magazine more realistic. Rapping has become a lot more mainstream over the years, making it also very appealing to white people. I also challenged the stereotype of black people being working class and living in less fortunate communities, by being pluralistic and giving a diverse racial mix of artists. An example of this is showing the black artist dressed smartly (representing wealth), standing behind a graffiti brick wall, which represents his ghetto roots.

Nationality: The USA is the Rap and Hip-Hop capital of the world. Most rappers which are internationally recognized are American. There are rappers in every country, and in every city, but I would have to say that the best and most successful are in fact American. I over looked this, and didn’t include this in my magazine, looking back I would have added in a faded American flag on the last page of the double page spread, as a background.

Religion: One thing which I find inclusive about Rap and Hip-Hop is that it is very Accepting of different religions, and the music has no thread to the artists religion normally. So in my product, I also never mention, or tried to connote anything about religion.

Stereotypes• People stereotype rap a lot, thinking that rapper are thugs who

make the street un safe, and that all rappers do drugs and are criminals. Of course behind stereotypes, always lies a hint of truth.

• The most common stereotypes are that Rappers, are poor thugs, who live in ghettos, are most likely part of a gang, and are normally not greatly accepted by society.

• In my product I didn’t want to represent stereotypes, where I don’t know how legitimate they are. So I played it save, and didn’t represent any groups to an extreme. I challenged the stereotype of rappers being lazy crooked thugs, in the interview with ‘Zeedo’, where he said ‘I still have a long way to go, until I am at the level I am targeting, this shows that he is hard working, and aspirers to be successful.