6 Million Ways to Die. The Conceptualization of (Black) Death in 1990s Gangster Rap

Seminar paper from the year 2017 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1.3, Bielefeld University, language: English, abstract: Rap and Hip Hop culture were created through gang culture however; they are considered a vital part of Black cultural production and self-conceptualization. In the following article, death, often perceived as the ultimate equalizer, will be investigated. Notorious B.I.G.'s first album Ready to Die will serve as a matter of analysis. The overarching question of this article is how death is conceptualized in the economically disadvantaged, Black, and urban communities and which concepts are attached to death. This article will cover gender aspects as well as economical aspects, hedonism, hyper-masculinity, suicide, terror, and memory.