THE CONSTRUCTION AND PERFORMANCE OF YOUTH IDENTITY THROUGH RAP: A CASE OF RAP VIET

Abstract

This research is placed within a critical discourse analysis perspective that assumes an entangled relationship between discourse and its underlying social meanings. In recent times, rap has gained a stable position in mainstream media, and along with it comes the appearance of vibrant youth subculture onto the screen. Rap music makes it possible for people to tell their stories and others’, as well as take on a persona or an alter ego (Sciullo, 2019). Employing Fairclough’s framework (1989), together with Kress and van Leeuwen’s framework (2006), we study the discourse of Vietnamese rap through its linguistic and visual elements. The study is an attempt to answer the following question: how has rap music contributed to identity construction and performance among Vietnamese youth? The study suggests that Vietnamese youth have constructed and performed their identity as patriots, individuals with dreams and aspirations, and children of their parents. These themes are closely connected and reflect the youth’s compliance with the social expectation of mainstream rap.