Young Jeezy and “The Recession”

Abstract

This article presents an in-depth case study and qualitative examination of Young Jeezy’s album “ The Recession” to explore to what extent Gangster Rap artists use Hip-Hop as way to respond to structural inequality in economically poor Black communities. Through Young Jeezy’s phenomenological standpoint, much can be understood about the lived experiences of Gangster Rap music and culture as well as more broadly, the perspectives of street-identified Black men. Sites of Resilience Theory and Grounded Theory were employed as method and analysis to examine Young Jeezy’s album “ The Recession.” Analysis reveals “ The Recession” speaks to the challenges of blocked economic and educational opportunity, negative living and health conditions, a corrupt political system, and the insidious ways these forms of structural inequality shape the identity of street-identified Black men. This article calls for social scientists and community professionals who seek to reach Black men in the streets to more deeply understand the phenomenological value of Gangster Rap music.