'There is no hardship in the Czech Republic, we're all doing pretty good': Biggboss and their mediated authenticity
Abstract
Biggboss label, comprised for the most part of Czech hip hop pioneers, represents the "mainstream" of Czech rap music. Lead by Vladimír 518, graffiti artist, rapper and most recently, the co-creator of documentary series on current subcultures for the Czech Television, the label also serves as a publishing house.
Based on analysis of interviews with the key members, the content of their lyrics, the documentary "Rap" and their public statements on the "refugee crisis" in the Czech Republic, this paper aims to analyze the specific position of Biggboss label and consequent notions of authenticity. I would like to point out the contradictions inherent in the production of Biggboss label, the embodiment of Czech rap in its appropriated form (represented by middle class white men), thus contextualizing the concepts of mainstream rap, political engagement, and the pervasive narrative of hip hop as a platform for marginalized voices.
This paper also suggests there is a need for critical scholarship on hip hop in the post-socialist countries, where theories and methods of (mainly) North American hip hop studies may not necessarily apply.