Ideas

Importance: Why is music important to individuals and to the community? Which components of musical culture are the most important to the sounds and to the people?

Hip-Hop/Rap music is important because artists have a platform to discuss many social issues that affect the “everyday” person.

Aesthetics: What is beautiful music? Is beauty appropriate? Which musical traits are the most beautiful as defined by the individuals and community?

N/A

Spirituality: What is the role of music in religion? What is the role of religion in music?

N/A

Function: What are the most important functions of the music? Are these fixed or flexible?

Important functions of Hip-Hop/Rap music are to express emotions and feelings, discuss social issues

Context: What are the most important contexts of this music? Are these fixed or flexible?

N/A

Social Organization

Performers: Who makes the music? What kind of training do they have? What are the formal and informal rules governing who is allowed to make music? What is the social status of the musicians?

Professional, in-depth training not required
No formal rules

Audience: Who listens to the music? What kind of training do they have? What is the social status of the audience? Is there a clear division between who plays and who listens?

Audience can be anybody; no training required; Clear division made by who is on stage and who is not

What are the subsidiary roles in music creation and consumption?

N/A

Which of these roles are professionalized?

N/A

What are spoken and unspoken social rules governing who belongs to each group?

N/A