Hip Hop Culture Summary

This article focuses on the appropriation of Black American linguistics as a result of participation in hip hop culture. Cutler specifically focuses on the adoption of African American Vernacular English by white middle class urban youth who have come to participate and developed a sense of belonging to Black American culture. She follows the development of Mike, a white middle-class boy that she knew from when he was young, from his inclusion of and growth into the subculture through his actions and words. Through the changes from his adolescent years to late teenage years, it becomes apparent that he has developed a sense of belonging towards hip hop culture and has adopted it as part of his sense of identity. She pays particular attention to the changes in his speech through his appropriation of African American Vernacular English, such as changes in pronunciation and grammar, before delving into the sources of accesses that white youth in general would have to adopt this dialect of English. The sources of this speech, according to Cutler, come from face-to-face encounters, online resources, and popular media such as movies. Her research shows how white middle class youth might become romanticized by hip hop culture through their interactions with it in both real life and through media sources. Investigation into recordings of Mike’s conversations with his friends reveals not only

Mike and his friends are one of many groups of white urban middle class youth who have come to identify with hip hop culture and have appropriated certain aspects of it into their own lives. Through the analysis of Mike’s involvement in hip hop culture, Cutler reveals several aspects of how white participation leads to appropriation of culture rather than democratic