The Construction of “Street Credibility” in Atlanta's Hip-Hop Music Scene: Analyzing the Role of Cultural Gatekeepers

ISSN： 1529-5036

Source： Critical Studies in Media Communication, Vol.29, Iss.4, 2012-10, pp. : 313-330

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Abstract

This article aims to examine the role that on-the ground cultural gatekeepers play in the commodification of rap artists in Atlanta prior to the artists' global distribution. These gatekeepers—including strip club DJs, street teams, local radio hosts/program directors, and media managers—act as intermediaries between the corporations that produce and distribute the rap artists and a wider consumer market. Despite changes in the cultural industries and the availability of new technologies that allow an artist to gain wider distribution more immediately, cultural gatekeepers—particularly in Southern rap music—continue to facilitate a rapper's brand-building and credibility-making efforts within a specific geographic region. This is why conglomerates such as Universal, Warner Music Group, and Sony, which own most of the major recording labels, continue to invest resources in winning the approval of these local intermediaries. This study looks at how these dynamics influence the cultural production process and why they are important in understanding cultural industries, branding in hip-hop music, and the relationships between rappers and local consumers.