Atlanta Trap and the Current Directions of Afrofuturism

Bibliographic Data

ID5848552
AuthorsTyler Hall (corresponding author)
Year2019
Publication date2019-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeTHESIS
PublisherCarleton University (PUBLISHER • CA)
DOI10.22215/etd/2019-13587
OpenAlexW2950721383
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited13

Atlanta is the cultural hub of the hip hop industry and home to some of the latest and most exciting examples of contemporary Afrofuturism. As the city's primary musical export, trap generally reads as apolitical; however, modern deployments of Afrofuturism's operational concepts by artists and producers in the genre illuminate a nuanced politics that is a sign of the times. A commercialized sub-genre of gangsta rap, trap is often overlooked as a source of valid social commentary and political critique, as a gap in hip hop and Afrofuturist scholarship would suggest. Building on previous research, this paper will establish a theoretical framework to interpret the sights, sounds, and narratives of trap music to examine how they speak to issues of race, technology, and representation. Future, Migos, and Young Thug are a few of the latest artists in a lineage of iconic figures to embrace the paradigm-shifting potential of Afrofuturism

Atlanta · Trap (plumbing · Digital Games and Media · Gothic Literature and Media Analysis · Utopian, Dystopian, and Speculative Fiction

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