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Palattella, Nina Senior Honors Thesis.pdf (954.56 KB)
ETD Abstract Container
Abstract Header
"We All Wanna Die, Too": Emo Rap and Collective Despair in Adolescent America
Author Info
Palattella, Nina
Permalink:
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1587048361192438
Abstract Details
Year and Degree
2020, BA, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of English.
Abstract
"Emo rap" began to emerge as a distinct musical genre in the early 2010s, combining the lyrical style and bravado of rap music with the emotional anguish characteristic of emo music. In the following years, emo rap artists have gained immense mainstream popularity, impacting the genre's development, its fans and contributors, and American culture. This thesis primarily references six popular emo rap artists - Lil Peep, XXXTentacion, Juice WRLD, Lil Xan, Lil Uzi Vert, and nothing,nowhere - who illustrate and exemplify prominent themes of the genre, such as mental health, drug abuse and addiction, social media and branding, and violence and death, in the content they produce, including music, social media posts, and interactions with the public. The thesis engages with scientific research, magazine articles, and other media that discuss the cultural impact of emo rap and the reasons for its appeal, which can include identification, aesthetic appreciation, and membership in a community. The popularity of emo rap emphasizes the broad reach of the genre, from millions of likes on Instagram posts to hundreds of millions of streams and music video views for songs that discuss issues of mental health and drug abuse and threaten violence against the self and others. The thesis also discusses the unexpected deaths of Lil Peep and XXXTentacion and subsequent effects on the way their music and those of others in the genre is received and branded. The thesis concludes with tentative predictions about how the genre may continue to progress in the future.
Committee
Ryan Hediger, Dr. (Advisor)
Tammy Clewell, Prof. (Committee Member)
Timothy Owens, Dr. (Committee Member)
Andrew Shahriari, Dr. (Committee Member)
Pages
111 p.
Subject Headings
Music
;
Sociology
Keywords
emo rap
;
mental health
;
cultural impact
;
drug abuse
;
social media
;
branding
;
death
;
legacy
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Citations
Palattella, N. (2020).
"We All Wanna Die, Too": Emo Rap and Collective Despair in Adolescent America
[Undergraduate thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1587048361192438
APA Style (7th edition)
Palattella, Nina.
"We All Wanna Die, Too": Emo Rap and Collective Despair in Adolescent America.
2020. Kent State University, Undergraduate thesis.
OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center
, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1587048361192438.
MLA Style (8th edition)
Palattella, Nina. ""We All Wanna Die, Too": Emo Rap and Collective Despair in Adolescent America." Undergraduate thesis, Kent State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1587048361192438
Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)
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Document number:
ksuhonors1587048361192438
Download Count:
4,253
Copyright Info
© 2019, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University Honors College and OhioLINK.