«Représenter sa ville »: l'ancrage des identités urbaines dans le rap des Twin Cities

Rap music was born in the black marginalized neighborhoods of American cities. If this kind of music has since been commercialized, globalized, and transformed, the link to the city remains strong in places such as the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/Saint Paul), through the idea of "representing" the "hometown". Discourses and practices of the members of the rap scene reveal how this culture takes its roots in the local context and how it is reshaped at the same time. The specificities of the Twin Cities are also used, particularly in the lyrics, to challenge the image of the city. Thus, rappers strive to demonstrate the legitimacy of the local scene at the national level, in order to "put the Twin Cities on the map of rap in the United States".