From the Neighborhood to the World: Interviews with Rappers Hodgkin and Osama on the Notions of Community, Identity, and Nation

Abstract

The document presents interviews with two Spanish rappers: Hodgkin, from Palencia, and Osama, from Madrid, aiming to explore the notions of community, neighborhood, identity, and nation from their artistic perspectives. Through semi-structured interviews, three main topics are addressed: 1) the characterization of the rappers in relation to their personal and community life, 2) their motivations for starting in rap, and 3) their conceptions of community and identity.

The analysis concludes that both rappers have created characters that represent them and evolve alongside their artistic journey. Their motivations for engaging in rap and graffiti are rooted in their desire to change the world by questioning and denouncing social issues. The neighborhood emerges as the primary space where their ideas of community, identity, and nation were born and developed, deeply rooted in bonds of friendship and mutual support. In this way, their art is sustained from a collective perspective.