A Comparative Content Analysis of Anti- and Prosocial Rap Lyrical Themes Found on Traditional and New Media Outlets

Avriel C. Epps, Travis L. Dixon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Previous studies investigated the content of rap music within the context of traditional media and found that rap often contains antisocial themes associated with negative effects. The current content analysis investigates whether rap’s lyrical themes consumed and shared online are more diverse and less anti-social than rap aired on traditional outlets. The analysis revealed that songs shared on Facebook were less antisocial and more prosocial than the songs that made the Billboard charts. Additionally, online lyrical themes were more diverse than traditionally distributed lyrics. Rap consumption and sharing behaviors will be discussed in light of the theory of selective exposure.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)467-498
Number of pages32
JournalJournal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media
Volume61
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 3 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Communication

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