Rap music and Cities
[version française] Cities and urban life seems to be of importance when it comes to the local adoption of worldwide HipHop. Rap music reveals a strong link to specific cities, neighborhoods and blocks. It furthermore suggests a certain cultural reading and representation of urban environment with the ghetto, housing projects, urban misery and crime, shady spots and backyards. It was even argued that this urban imagination is a crucial element which decides about realness, the credibility of authentic HipHop1. I have been interested in the relationship between Rap and cities for a long time. When I finally picked it up...