Park et al., "Rap Music as a Social Reflection" (2026)

Minsu Park, Jaehyuk Park, Fabio Rojas, and Yong-Yeol Ahn, EPJ Data Science, in press (2026)
SocArXiv

@article{park2026rap,
    author = {Minsu Park and Jaehyuk Park and Fabio Rojas and Yong-Yeol Ahn},
    title = {Rap Music as a Social Reflection: Exploring the Relationship Between Social Conditions and Expressions of Violence and Materialism in Rap Lyrics},
    journal = {EPJ Data Science},
    year = {2026},
}

We examine how expressions of violence and materialism in rap lyrics reflect underlying social conditions. By analyzing a large corpus of rap music, we find that these lyrical themes are not merely artistic choices but mirror the socioeconomic realities of the communities from which the artists emerge.