Brithop

With ongoing debates on Scottish independence immigration Britain''s place in the EU multiculturalism national identity and the specter of a past Empire complicating ethnically-defined notions of Britishness the Kingdom seems far from United. As a cultural force that is often discussed as giving voice to the voiceless and empowering marginalized communities hip-hop has become a space in which to explore and debate these issues-defining global community while celebrating locality. In Brithop author Justin A. Williams finds new hope in an often-neglected figure: the British rapper. Through themes of nationalism history subculture politics humor and identity Brithop explores multiple forms of politics in rap discourses from Wales Scotland and England. Featuring rappers and groups such as The Streets Goldie Lookin Chain Akala Lowkey Stanley Odd Loki Speech Debelle Lady Sovereign Shadia Mansour Shay D Stormzy Sleaford Mods Riz MC and Lethal Bizzle Williams investigates how rappers in the UK respond to the postcolonial melancholia of post-Empire Britain. Brithop shows a rich multifaceted cultural reality reflective of both the postcolonial condition of the UK and the importance of localism within its varying cultures.