“They Killin’ Us for No Reason”: Black Lives Matter, Police Brutality, and Hip-Hop Music—A Quantitative Content Analysis

Abstract

A quantitative content analysis of rap lyrics released after the 2020 death of George Floyd ( n = 66) was conducted to examine the dominant emotions of artists who use their songs to address police brutality and other forms of racism. A large, negative, and statistically significant correlation between negative emotions toward the police and a desire for retaliation was found. This finding may lend support for the African American Offending Theory, which is explained in this study. The rap songs examined could also be seen as a form of alternative commentary not found in news coverage of the 2020 protests.