Mausfeld, Dianne Violeta; Mausfeld, Dianne Violeta (28 May 2021). “We’re Hip-Hop’s Minority!“ Transcultural Collaboration and the Chicano Struggle for Recognition in Los Angeles Hip-Hop (Unpublished). In: 29th Congress of the Latin American Studies Association. Virtual Event. 26.-29.5.2021.
Los Angeles hip-hop culture was created in African-American, Mexican-American, and Latino communities, who have shared neighborhoods, schools, and leisure spaces since the 1930s. While gangster rap is a predominantly African-American music genre, it integrates various Chicano elements such as lowrider cars, style, and slang. “Chicano rap” evolved as a response to Black gangster rap; artists expressed their culture in ‘Spanglish’ lyrics and Latin music samples, but were also highly influenced by African-American rap, funk, and soul. Gangster rap became commercially successful, while Chicano rap remained mostly underground. Transcultural collaborations were frequent in the Los Angeles music industry, artists and music executives of all ethnicities working together. Still, many Chicano practitioners claim the African-American community never acknowledged their contribution to the culture.
This paper addresses the complex history of Black and Brown interactions in Los Angeles hip-hop culture from the 1980s until today. The methodology draws on ethnographic interviews with artists and contemporaries conducted in 2019, as well as critical source evaluation of selected songs and music videos. Findings show a highly ambivalent relationship: on the one hand, many Chicano artists feel underappreciated, exploited, and even mocked by their Black fellow artists. On the other hand, feature productions do occur and lyrics often cover the shared struggle of racial profiling and police brutality. Exploring issues of transcultural music collaboration, racial conflict, and cultural appropriation, this paper highlights Chicano artists and their contribution to Los Angeles hip-hop that so far has been widely overlooked.
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