The Spirit of Rapitalism: Artistic Labor Practices in Chicago's Hip-Hop Underground

Geoff Harkness

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DOI: 10.2190/WR.16.2.g

Abstract

This article investigates artistic labor and its relationship to hip-hop culture in Chicago's underground rap music scene. To be a rapper is to work: writing and recording songs, performing on stage and in music videos, and promoting and networking via the Internet or in person. Drawing upon studies of artistic labor practices, I explore the content and character of this work, the centrality of the work ethic to identity construction, and the way rappers use work to build and maintain status, authenticity, and a "spirit of rapitalism," the act of behaving in a thoroughly capitalist manner while maintaining a sense of street credibility. I also analyze the difficulties faced by the hip-hop laborer, including the pressure to commercialize, unpaid work, and balancing day jobs and family obligations with commitments to the music scene. I conclude by exploring the ramifications of these findings and offering suggestions for policy.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.