Full Description
With ongoing debates on Scottish independence, immigration, Britain's place in the EU, multiculturalism, national identity and the specter of a past Empire complicating ethnically-defined notions of "Britishness," the Kingdom seems far from United. As a cultural force that is often discussed as giving voice to the voiceless and empowering marginalized communities, hip-hop has become a space in which to explore and debate these issues-defining global community while celebrating locality.
In Brithop, author Justin A. Williams finds new hope in an often-neglected figure: the British rapper. Through themes of nationalism, history, subculture, politics, humor and identity, Brithop explores multiple forms of politics in rap discourses from Wales, Scotland and England. Featuring rappers and groups such as The Streets, Goldie Lookin Chain, Akala, Lowkey, Stanley Odd, Loki, Speech Debelle, Lady Sovereign, Shadia Mansour, Shay D, Stormzy, Sleaford Mods, Riz MC and Lethal Bizzle, Williams investigates how rappers in the UK respond to the "postcolonial melancholia" of post-Empire Britain. Brithop shows a rich, multifaceted cultural reality reflective of both the postcolonial condition of the UK and the importance of localism within its varying cultures.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1: Introduction
Rapping Back to the Postcolonial Melancholia of 21st Century Britain
Chapter 2: Nationalism
"My England": Banal Nationalism, Discourses and Counter-narratives
Chapter 3: History
Rapping Postcoloniality: Akala's "The Thieves Banquet" and Neocolonial Critique
Chapter 4: Subculture/Style
Punk Aesthetics in Sleaford Mods and Lethal Bizzle
Chapter 5: Politics
"Colonized by Wankers": Performing the Scottish Independence Debate through Hip-hop
Chapter 6: Humor
Stereotypes and Belonging in the Parody Videos of Goldie Lookin Chain and Bricka Bricka
Chapter 7: Politics, Identity, and Belonging
British Rappers of the Middle Eastern Diaspora
Conclusion
British Rap in the Age of Grenfell and Brexit
Appendix: Ch. 5 lyrics
Bibliography
Index
