Musical expressions both mirror and shape the multifaceted cultural realities of the countries and regions in which they are produced, performed, and consumed. Music can therefore provide a window into complex cultural and social issues. With its immense commercial appeal and long history as a political and politicized form of expression, hip hop music offers unique opportunities for understanding how our musical cultures are intertwined with broader cultural developments and societal challenges.
The NORHOP project investigates the multiple functions and implications of hip hop in contemporary Norway, focusing especially on its aesthetic, pedagogical, and sociopolitical dimensions. The primary objective of the project is to develop new knowledge about hip hop music’s potential to shed light on people’s responses to contemporary cultural developments and societal challenges, using the case of Norway as a point of entry for producing insights of international relevance. This involves studying how artists engage with themes including gender, racism, and national belonging, as well as investigating the reception of hip hop in the Norwegian public sphere and exploring its various significances for children, youth, and adults.
The project is interdisciplinary and combines theories and approaches from musicology, music education, media studies, cultural studies, and adjacent fields. Researchers will employ both critical analysis and empirical methods that center the experiences and perspectives of artists and audiences. The project involves the analysis of songs and music videos, interviews with artists and audiences, investigations of hip hop’s role in Norwegian public debate, investigations of how hip hop circulates in educational contexts, and the study of online music cultures and social media. This broad-based approach is intended to accommodate the project’s ambition to strive for a nuanced and holistic view of the possibilities and limitations provided by hip hop for exploring key developments and challenges related to Norway’s sustainability as a diverse and inclusive multicultural democracy.
