Theorizing Power, Identity and Hip Hop: Towards a Queer, Intersectional Approach

Power and identity are central themes in hip hop scholarship, whether it is race and class that are in focus, or gender and sexuality, or a combination. Yet power and identity are contested concepts that are used with varying theoretical outlooks. This article seeks to outline some key differences between different understandings of power and identity, and their consequences for the study of hip hop. Four models are identified. In the expression model, hip hop is understood as the cultural expression of a specific group. In contrast, the catalogization model and the two-plane model both acknowledge the existence of different dimensions of power and identity, but treat these either in a list-like manner or according to a base-superstructure dichotomy. The limitations of these two models can be overcome, it is suggested, by turning to the complexity model, which builds on contemporary feminist, intersectionality and queer theory.