Hip-hop emotional exploration in men

Integrating Hip‐Hop Culture and Rap Music Into Social Justice Counseling With Black Males

“…Brooks's spontaneous reference to Lamar's song highlights the cathartic role Hip‐Hop culture and rap music has played in articulating the frustration Black males experience because of long‐standing social inequalities and wanton, racially motivated violence (Collins, ; Love, ; Sealey‐Ruiz & Greene, ; Washington, ). Hip‐Hop culture and rap music resonate with many Black males because they encapsulate the aspirations and frustrations of Black males who have had to confront sociopolitical disadvantage and marginalization (Greene, ; Kitwana, ; Land & Stovall, ; Levy & Keum, ). Data indicate Black males’ connection to Hip‐Hop and rap music.…”

“Real Recognize Real”: Hip‐Hop Spoken Word Therapy and Humanistic Practice

“…Hip‐hop has been demonstrated as valuable in increasing client engagement and fostering deeper understanding of client experiences (Travis & Deepak, ). Levy and Keum () noted that hip‐hop spaces offer socially and culturally acceptable platforms for youth to explore difficult emotions through hip‐hop writing and performance. In fact, at the community level, scholars posit that youth of color engage in cathartic lyric writing and performing as a direct response to the lack of culturally salient counseling services (Levy, Cook, & Emdin, ).…”

“…This presents a valuable opportunity for counselors to use the hip‐hop lyric writing process to encourage youth to construct introspective lyrics supporting exploration of their lived experiences and particular emotional themes covered in sessions. Given research that suggests youth feel more comfortable exploring thoughts and feelings through lyric writing than through traditional forms of talk therapy (Gonzalez & Hayes, ; Levy & Keum, ), and that they perceive counselors who use hip‐hop‐based interventions as relatable on a personal level (Kobin & Tyson, ), I call on counseling professionals to become comfortable using hip‐hop lyric writing interventions in session. Levy () found prompting youth to write and record emotionally themed hip‐hop songs in session created a platform to explore difficult thoughts and feelings and led to youth feeling a deeper connection with their roots.…”

“…Considering the gender‐sexual dimension of hip‐hop authenticity further, there is a specific distinction between being perceived as hard (distanced from emotions as a means to appear in control) or soft (being perceived as weak or vulnerable), with soft being a marker of inauthenticity (McLeod, ). Hip‐hop lyric writing has been discussed as an activity that is socially and culturally acceptable enough to enable clients to express emotions while sidestepping vulnerability and weakness (Levy & Keum, ). That is, counselors who use hip‐hop‐based interventions such as sharing lyrics in group cyphers provide clients with a socially acceptable context in which to feel vulnerable as they open up to others, while empowering clients to believe in their ability to find answers to their own problems.…”

Should I stay or should I go? The impact of a sense of control on young men's therapeutic engagement

“…Some studies have examined the broader theme of control in the provision of counselling for young men. Rogers, Griffin, Wykle and Fitzpatrick (2009) found that young people frequently like to have control over the process of therapy, whilst Levy and Keum (2014) determined that young men like to have control over the exploration of emotional content in their counselling journey. A study by Millar (2003), examining men's experience in counselling, concluded that control was an important aspect of their journey.…”