In the Swedish Gangster Rap Era - Youth Cultural and Educational Implications

Swedish hip hop has tended to be permeated with messages of social justice and thus possible to intertwine with educational ideals in civil society social pedagogy. Recently however, a new wave of hip-hop has been established. It differs from before mainly due to its links to and expressions of crime – which Swedish media has reported on.

But also prominent critics have directed attention to gangster rap, for instance comparing it to working class literature. Since hip hop is the most popular music genre, this indicates its cultural relevance beyond urban social pedagogy.

The change of the genre however still induce dilemmas for institutionalized hip hop pedagogy, not least regarding the issue of how to combine social pedagogy with crime as an aesthetic element.

The project aims to address the complexity of contemporary hip hop and contribute with in-depth knowledge of Swedish gangster rap as a youth cultural phenomenon from the perspective of hip-hop education and young listeners, and in relation to different socio-economic environments and contexts such as school, juvenile detention centers and other hip-hop pedagogical activities.

The study consists of initial and follow-up semi structured group interviews.

The theoretical perspective derives from Pierre Bourdieus sociological concepts concerning taste, distinctions and room of lifestyles that make it possible to understand how “gangster rap” is interpreted among different social and educational groups and actors.