Word on the (Digital) Street

In Drill music, Chicago’s subgenre of Gangsta rap, Black male gang-affiliated recording artists (Drillers) often distribute content on social media platforms to solidify the authenticity of their song lyrics and music videos and validate their own embeddedness in gang territories. Using content analysis of two prominent Drillers’ vlogs, this study examines how YouTube channels serves as important intermediaries to not only circulate one’s music but provide Drillers a valuable reputation management tool. Results of this analysis suggests there are three primary ways that Drillers relate audiences: “signifying” (using humor to discredit a rival’s accusations and appear unbothered), “calling bluffs” (threatening or challenging a rival to retaliate by inviting them to their physical location) and cross referencing (calling attention to private information that contradicts one’s public image through storytelling). These findings show that though publicly crafting violent personas remains central in Black male youth gaining visibility in the corporate rap music industry, through social media entertainment, there are newer and riskier labor practices required for Black male youth seeking to self-authenticate street reputations, monetize, and create community around personas communicated within their music

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