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Abstract
Rap music has become prominent in sociological research in recent years and some of this research has concerned the appropriation of rap culture among Aboriginal youth. The goal of this study is to address whether the cultural appropriation of rap and hip-hop music by Canadian Aboriginal people results in the authentic re-formation of a cultural product, or whether that appropriation is better perceived as imitation of a cultural form. The research project comprises Ethnographic Content Analysis of lyrics from a sample of rap songs from Aboriginal artists in Alberta, and interview data from a number of artists. As such, this study considers whether or not Aboriginal rap lyrics are an authentic reflection of the experience of Aboriginal artists, or if the adoption of rap reflects mere preference for a popular cultural product.
