The Strengths of Street Knowledge

Abstract: In the late 1970s the culture of hip hop emerged from the streets of New York. It was an outlet for identity, expression and boasting among communities of young people who were raised in disadvantaged circumstances. Hip hop allowed for creative innovators to form a niche within the entertainment industry that has generated billions of dollars. The purpose of our study is to investigate how hip hop artists utilize entrepreneurial methods in their ventures. Specifically, we explore how these entrepreneurs build empires from storytelling and narrative creation. Entrepreneurial research has found storytelling as an increasingly validated method towards success. Much has been written about how entrepreneurs frame their ideas, how they have to be raconteurial in the early stages of their ventures in order to access resources, and how a “great” pitch is invaluable in capital raising. Hip hop artists rely on stories and storytelling, and the listeners response to the pitch dictates its value.  The primary methods used in our study were theoretical and text analysis. We relied on content analysis, discourse analysis and critical discourse studies to analyze our data. We compared literature from various research disciplines including cultural studies, business studies, entrepreneurial research, post structuralism and philosophy.  Our results indicate that hip hop artists negotiate experiences and create narratives that are then commodified.  Our conclusions indicate that narratives that provide consumers a glimpse into communities of “others” while keeping listeners at a safe distance, sell. Furthermore, we find that rappers who exploit vulgarity and glamorize violence, misogyny and aggression are time and again rewarded with fame and fiscal success.