Bridging and bounding Asianness in hip-hop lyrics and media discourse

This chapter applied the framing theory and the racial-aesthetic boundary model to examine how Asian rappers mark their racial identities and how media receive and present Asian artists' lyrical messages. The examination spans three generations of rap artists in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Results indicate significant differences in terms of identity, appropriation, and non-race frames. Results also show a linear-like correlation for identity framing, in that messages under identity frames in lyrics were well perceived and presented by journalists. Coverage involving two other frames, segregation and appropriation, were exaggerated in their presentation. The reporters would mention Asian-ness when they cover and review Asian artists even though the lyrics examined never mentioned race. Implications are discussed. © 2023, IGI Global.