Drill Rap, Sex Work, and the Digital Underground
In this book, Jabari Evans examines Chicago’s controversial Drill rap scene and the “always-on” nature of social media for these musicians, who are often tasked with maintaining constant connection across multiple platforms in order to both affirm their street authenticity locally and promote themselves to an imagined audience of global Hip-Hop fans. Drawing on empirical studies, ethnographic fieldwork, and prominent members of Chicago’s Hip-Hop scene, Evans explores the role of social media as an economic resource supporting artistic labor and the implications, both positive and negative, of relying on these platforms for success. Clout, a term heavily used by Drill rappers, refers to the way their influence on social media is measured according to numeric metrics including likes, views, re-posts, and followers. Ultimately, Evans argues that while Black youth of Drill effectively use Hip-Hop cultural norms to harness the power of clout and gain individual celebrity, this success comes with ambivalence over unwanted surveillance of their private lives and the need to rely on negative stereotypes as central to their identities.
Jabari Evans is assistant professor of race and media at the University of South Carolina.