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It’s Where You’re @: Hip Hop and the Internet
  • ISSN: 2632-6825
  • E-ISSN: 2632-6833
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Abstract

Through interviews and participant observation, this article examines the emotional and relational labour of emerging female rap musicians and video models who have significant social media followings and create sexually explicit content for the subscription platform OnlyFans. Findings indicate that respondents felt conflicted in potentially exacerbating stereotypes about women in hip hop music, but also as sexual performers they felt empowered by taking ownership of racial stereotypes, their safety during interactions with men and how their bodies were commodified for pay. Ultimately, this study introduces insights on the digital evolution of hip hop culture’s relationship with sex work and reveals newfound ideological tensions faced by Black women rappers who are using sexual dance economies to adopt new direct-to-consumer business models on the internet (particularly on social media) to self-promote, sustain and develop their careers.

© 2021 The Author Published by Intellect Ltd.
This article is Open Access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The CC BY licence permits commercial and noncommercial reuse. To view a copy of the licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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/content/journals/10.1386/ghhs_00043_1
2023-01-25
2025-12-14
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/content/journals/10.1386/ghhs_00043_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): Black digital feminism; creator culture; digital clout; DIY hip-hop; ethnography; OnlyFans; sex work; social media

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