Although hip hop' emphases on violence and sex have been the subject of numerous research studies, little is known about the connection between hip hop and love. This study begins to fill that lacuna by investigating how individuals exposed to hip hop culture perceive love.
Seventy-one youth of color ages 14-25 viewed rapper Soulja Boy Tell 'Em's video "Kiss Me Thru The Phone" and completed open-ended survey questions about their relationship to hip hop, interpretations of the video, and lived experiences with love. The youth's responses reveal that they actively sought love's representations within hop culture.