Locating the lost borough : constructing the Rochester hip-hop scene

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Rochester, 2012.The idea of"scene" invokes multivalent physical and non-physical spaces, occurs in particular tangible geographic locations, and includes flexible configurations of social formations. Like space, scenes are socially constructed and contested, and subject to similar social forces that affirm, subvert, or challenge authority, authenticity, and access. It is my intent to show how "scene" functions as a meta-spatial category that refers to all sites associated with the production, consumption, and mediation of hip-hop in Rochester, which several local artists commonly refer to as the "lost borough of New York." I will discuss how artists approach particular spaces within this scene and illustrate how they negotiate power over different sites, and how they consciously and subconsciously exercise their agency to gain and/or control access to those spaces. In addition, I suggest that local artists employ the metaphor of Rochester as a "lost" space as a means to reclaim their city and situate the narrative of Rochester hip-hop within the larger discourse of New York City hip-hop