Being Bad in Order to Do Well: Deviance Admiration in the Rap/Hip-Hop Music Industry

Abstract

Reputation has emerged as an intangible asset that is vital to performance because of its inimitable qualities and the information it conveys. While much of the literature emphasizes the need for reputation to be positive and guarded, certain stakeholders may value behavior that differs from mainstream expectations. In essence some stakeholders place value on, or admire, nonconformity. Reinforcing the fact that reputation is part of the market information regime, we suggest that deviance admiration helps us to understand how nonconforming behaviors become the ‘normative expectations’ of key constituents. Using longitudinal data from the rap/hip-hop industry, we find support for the idea that nonconforming behavior leads to better sales performance in this context. We conclude that reputation is both contextual and dynamic.