Exploring the Discourse in Hip Hop and Implications for Music Therapy Practice

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explore the discourse of Hip Hop Culture within the context of music therapy. Spellings and definitions of Hip Hop, as proposed by KRS-One (2009), will be provided and then extrapolated in relation to various topics in music therapy, such as treatment planning and theoretical perspective. The position of this paper is that music therapists must adopt reflexive positions on issues such as the cultural appropriation of Hip Hop’s artistic elements and the manifestation of power and privilege within its musical and therapeutic relationships. Hip Hop offers a multidimensional theoretical perspective for music therapy theory that views the ability of its artistic elements to transform and produce Spirit, enabling individuals and communities to move from a location of marginalization to that of an empowered, collective voice.