Braudy, Leo. The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and Its History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986).
[Book Chapter] Leo Braudy argues that fame transforms a real person into a public story shaped by the media and its audience. Once someone becomes famous, they no longer control how they are seen—their identity becomes a narrative others create, often overshadowing their true, private self. This creates a constant tension between the talked off self-version of a person and the inner self that remains unexpressed. Braudy also highlights a contradiction in modern fame: society expects famous people to be isolated and extraordinary, yet also endlessly visible and accessible. Ultimately, he suggests that fame reveals more about the audience than the celebrity, because the stories we tell about famous people reflect the desires, values, and identity of the culture that creates them. This is useful for my paper because it shows how the public also invents the gangster’s identity through the societal expectations placed on them.
Collins, Marcus. “How 50 Years of Hip-Hop Provided 50 Years of Marketing Game.” Forbes, 11 Aug. 2023, www.forbes.com/sites/marcuscollins/2023/08/11/how-50-years-of-hip-hop-provided-50-years-of-marketing-game/.
[Article] This article explains how hip-hop evolved from a grassroots cultural movement into a global, multibillion-dollar commercial force. The author shows that hip-hop didn’t just shape music—it dramatically influenced consumer behavior across industries such as fashion, sportswear, beauty, food, and technology. As hip-hop grew, brands increasingly used its aesthetics, language, and symbols to sell products, turning cultural expressions of identity, status, and success into marketable commodities.
This is useful for my paper because it shows how cultural movements tied to street identity and gangster imagery were commercialized and absorbed into mainstream consumer culture. The glamorization of wealth, luxury goods, and status symbols—central to both hip-hop and gangster culture—became powerful marketing tools.
Podoshen, Jeffrey S., Susan A. Andrzejewski, and James M. Hunt. “Materialism, Conspicuous Consumption, and American Hip-Hop Subculture.” Journal of International Consumer Marketing, vol. 26, no. 4, June 2014, pp. 271–283.
[Journal Article] This article explores how materialism and public display of wealth have become central elements of American hip-hop culture. He argues that the current focus on luxury items—cars, jewellery, designer fashion, mansions—is not accidental but deeply connected to history, identity, race, and systems of power. The authors explain that hip-hop emerged from marginalized Black communities who faced poverty, discrimination, and exclusion from mainstream economic success. Because of this history, showing wealth becomes more than personal expression—it becomes a form of resistance, empowerment, and visibility. Displaying luxury goods allows artists to reclaim status in a society that has historically denied them social mobility. This article will be useful to my paper because it explains the reasons behind consumerism and materialism and how it stretches far beyond a show of wealth and has cultural significance. It allows me to provide evidence on why rappers fall victim to consumerism and feel the need to show off their wealth.
Ruth, David. “Dressed to Kill: Consumption, Style, and the Gangster.” Inventing the Public Enemy: The Gangster in American Culture, 1918-1934. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
[Book Chapter] David Ruth explains how gangsters in the early 20th century used style, fashion, and conspicuous consumption to construct their public identity. Because gangsters came from immigrant and working-class backgrounds, they were excluded from traditional paths to wealth and respectability. Ruth argues that expensive clothing, flashy cars, and luxurious nightlife became a way for these men to visually claim status in a society that denied it to them. Their style was not just vanity—it was a deliberate performance of power, success, and modern masculinity. Ruth also shows that this “gangster style” fascinated the public. Newspapers, films, and magazines amplified their glamorous image, transforming gangsters into pop-culture figures. This is useful for my paper because it highlights the motivations behing gangsters showing off their wealth since they worked so hard to achieve it. This can be linked to how the gangsters’ backgrounds influence their identity. Their identity is influenced depending on their need to show all they have worked towards.
Watts, Eric K. “An Exploration of Spectacular Consumption: Gangsta Rap as Cultural Commodity.” Communication Studies, vol. 48, no. 1, 1997, pp. 42–58.
[Journal Article] This article examines how gangsta rap transitioned from an expression of marginalized Black urban experience into a profitable commercial product. Watts argues that the music industry and mass media turned gangsta rap into a spectacle—something consumed not just for its sound, but for its imagery, narratives, and symbols of excess. He explains that the genre’s portrayals of violence, luxury, wealth, and hyper-materialism became marketable because they were visually and emotionally striking. The article highlights how record labels, advertisers, and audiences participated in transforming gangsta rap into a commodity that sells fantasy, rebellion, and status.This is useful for my paper because it provides a theoretical backbone for how gangster culture was shaped by consumerism and materialism.
