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Hip-hop emotional exploration in men

a a
Ian Levy & Brian TaeHyuk Keum
a
Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Published online: 26 Aug 2014.

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To cite this article: Ian Levy & Brian TaeHyuk Keum (2014) Hip-hop emotional exploration in
men, Journal of Poetry Therapy: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Practice, Theory, Research and
Education, 27:4, 217-223, DOI: 10.1080/08893675.2014.949528

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 Journal of Poetry Therapy, 2014
Vol. 27, No. 4, 217–223, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08893675.2014.949528

Hip-hop emotional exploration in

men
Ian Levy* & Brian TaeHyuk Keum
Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Downloaded by [McMaster University] at 20:53 22 December 2014

(Received 9 April 2014; accepted 22 May 2014)

The focus of this brief review is on how Hip-hop impacts men’s willingness to disclose emotion, or even
to inquire about counseling. Researchers are exploring the impact of gender norms on the effectiveness
of counseling sessions. Emotional writing has been a form of counseling suggested to be particularly
effective with male clients. In this paper we explore how Hip-hop based therapy can be a culturally
relevant approach for effective counseling with men.
Keywords Counseling; emotion; Hip-hop; men; spoken word poetry; writing

Introduction
Hip-hop is an art form created in the 1970s, post-industrialized, Bronx, NY. During
this time period New York City budget cuts on education stripped many public
schools of their music based programs. As a result young people were forced to find
their own creative outlets for self-expression. As a genre, Hip-hop lyricism is a
combination of both instrumental music and poetry. Through the manipulation of
old records, Hip-hop lyricism became a platform for individuals, who needed a
voice, to speak back against inequalities they faced. Some may posit that the birth of
Hip-hop was inherently therapeutic.
Looking back at previous research we find that Bibliotherapy (Harper, 2010;
Hynes & Hynes-Berry, 1994/2011) and poetry therapy (Mazza, 2003) are suggested
to be helpful in providing clients with a medium to express emotions and universalize
feelings. For instance, Jones (2005) found that song writing and lyrical analysis
provided for immediate changes in emotional reactions from substance abusers.
His results further indicated that the use of music in therapy reduced negative
feelings like anxiety, guilt, and anger, while at the same time increasing positive
feelings. The use of music in therapy provides insight into a barrage of feelings for
both the client and counselor. Within the same study Jones (2005) found music
therapy to be successful in evoking emotion and positively altering mood states with

*Corresponding author. Ian Levy, Teachers College, Columbia University, 122 La Salle St., Apt 3,
New York, NY 10027, USA. Tel: 914-512-0427. Email: ian.p.levy@gmail.com
© 2014 National Association for Poetry Therapy
 218 I. Levy & B. T. Keum

substance abuse clients. Scholars have begun connecting these ideas and found
evidence to suggest that text and music combined elicited greater emotional
responses than just text or instrumental music alone (Gfeller, Asmus, & Eckert,
1991; Jones, 2005). The ability to have a place to explore thoughts and feelings gives
individuals the chance to cope up with their emotions more easily (Baker, Gleadhill, &
Dingle, 2007).
As time progresses it is becoming increasingly evident that Hip-hop and spoken
word poetry have become a large part of urban culture, and have even begun to
spread further (Tillie Allen, 2005). Given the multitude of research suggesting the
benefits of music and poetry therapy, scholars have begun analyzing Hip-hop’s
effectiveness. Elligan (2004) developed a unique psychotherapy called rap therapy to
be used with at-risk youth in a school counseling setting. His counseling process is
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broken down into five distinct stages: assessment, alliance, reframing, role play/
reinforcement, and action/maintenance. In the assessment stage the counselor can
have discussions with his/her students about the rap they enjoy. By identifying
specific songs, the counselor can gather insight into the student’s emotional state.
Within the sessions themselves, rap therapy can be used to assist the student in
expressing negative emotions, to engage in role-play, and to reframe thoughts.
Overall young people seemed to prefer Hip-hop based interventions to other
therapeutic approaches (Elligan, 2004; Gonzalez & Hayes, 2009).
Tyson (2003) began researching the effects of Hip-hop in a social work setting
with African American and Latino young people. He discovered Hip-hop and other
music could be used to provide clients with a safe platform to identify and discuss
their emotions. In fact, Hip-hop-based interventions were shown to have improved
the therapeutic experience and outcomes of both African and Latino youth, and
delinquent youth (Tyson, 2002, 2003). DeCarlo and Hockman (2003) coined “rap
therapy” which, although different from Elligan’s theory, was found to be effective
alternative for engaging young men in therapy sessions. These scholars’ findings
stress the importance of the therapeutic relationship as a necessary aspect of
successful therapy. For example rap therapy was particularly effective at engaging
clients and developing rapport (Elligan, 2004). Not only have Hip-hop based
interventions created safe spaces for young people to genuinely express emotions,
but also counselors who utilize Hip-hop in therapy sessions have been experienced by
young people as relatable on a personal level (Kobin & Tyson, 2006).
Recently Levy (2012) advanced Hip-hop and spoken word therapy (HHSWT)
which intended to expose coping or defensive mechanisms embedded in the
individuals’ worldview by means of exploring emotions through listening to and
composing lyrics. The purpose was to assist the client in moving from living in an
insecure world to living with a mindset of high self-esteem and authenticity devoid of
cognitive distortions and denial of real self. Travis and Deepak (2011) discussed
using Hip-hop culture as a means for empowerment in a social work setting. They
argued for the effectiveness of Hip-hop based interventions as vessels to understand
young people at a profound level, while simultaneously engaging them in the helping
process.
 Emotional exploration in men 219

Gender norms and emotional expression

But what appears to be missing in current Hip-hop therapy based literature is how
Hip-hop impacts men’s willingness to disclose emotion, or even to inquire about
counseling. For decades, men’s willingness to seek counseling has been comparably
lower than women, most likely due to gender differences and the label of being
perceived as vulnerable and weak in the context of socialized male gender norms
(Andrews, Issakidis, & Carter, 2001; Husaini, Moore, & Cain, 1994; McKay,
Rutherford, Cacciola, & Kabasakalian-McKay, 1996; O’Neil, Good, & Holmes,
1995; Thom, 1986; Wills & DePaulo, 1991). It has also been suggested through
numerous studies that young men, particularly, exhibit negative attitudes toward
utilizing psychological services (Chandra & Minkovitz, 2006; Gonzalez, Alegria, &
Prihoda, 2005; Masuda, Suzumura, Beauchamp, Howells, & Clay, 2005). Evidence
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in the development of emotional inexpression has also been found among

adolescent boys when compared to girls, suggesting that socialization of male
emotional restrictiveness may begin at an earlier stage in life (Polce-Lynch, Myers,
Kilmartin, Forssmann-Falck, & Kliewer, 1998; Polce-Lynch, Myers, Kliewer, &
Kilmartin, 2001). Furthermore, recent research results point to evidence that men
immersed in socialized male gender norms, who experience greater gender role
conflicts, are more likely to self-stigmatize and reduce self-disclosure, leading to
less positive attitudes and willingness to seek counseling (Pederson & Vogel, 2007).
In addition, lack of self-disclosure in men has been consistently regarded as the
bedlam giving roots to men’s emotional inexpression and restriction. Indeed, past
literature has considered men’s emotional inexpression as a long-standing problem
that discourage men from seeking psychological services (Balswick, 1988; Brooks,
1998; Moore & Haverkamp, 1989; Pollack & Levant, 1998; Scher, 1981). Likewise
with psychological help seeking behavior, discouragement from emotional expres-
sion has been consistently linked to sources of socialized male gender norm and
ensuing gender role conflict (Balswick, 1988; Good & Sherrod, 2001; Meth &
Passick, 1990; O’Neil, 1981).
However, as traditional research has consistently suggested emotion inexpression
as a problem to be addressed in men who think about or are utilizing psychological
services, recent scholars have attempted to demystify the process by addressing the
intricacies involved in men’s emotional expression in relation to external variables
such as social context, evaluation of social acceptance, and gender differences
(Simon & Nath, 2004; Wong & Rochlen, 2005). Recent researchers have argued
that men’s emotion inexpression does not necessarily stem from its relevance to
alexithymia but rather, it is the process that even though men are aware of their
emotion, they choose not to express them in the context of evaluations for the
emotion’s causes, modes, and consequences (Wong & Rochlen, 2005). Relatedly,
research results are usually generalized to implicate men’s lack of awareness of
emotions as they have been conditioned to discourage from feeling negative emotions
such as sadness and fear that may attribute to label of vulnerability and weakness
stemming from gender differences in emotional regulation and expression (Blazina &
Marks, 2001; Cusack, Deane, Wilson, & Ciarrochi, 2006; Kashdan, Mishra, Breen, &
 220 I. Levy & B. T. Keum

Froh, 2009; Nolen-Hoeksema & Aldao, 2011). However, recent advances in the field
suggest that gender differences in emotion awareness are minimal and that studies
need to examine the behavioral context and the different forms in which men may
choose to express their emotions (Heesacker et al., 1999; Wester, Vogel, Pressly, &
Heesacker, 2002; Wong & Rochlen, 2005).
One form in which emotion can be indirectly addressed is the emotional writing,
shown to have favorable results in physical health, psychological well-being,
physiological functioning, and general functioning (Smyth, 1998). A significant
body of literature exists in highlighting the evidence that emotional writing can have
positive influences on psychological and physical functioning (Pennebaker, 1997).
Interestingly enough, at its core great Hip-hop lyricism is emotional writing. That is
to say that the more vividly we are able to speak to our emotional experiences, the
better Hip-hop we are able to create. In addition given that Hip-hop is a socially and
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culturally acceptable art form, it is far less likely that using Hip-hop to explore and/or
disclose emotions would lead to feelings of vulnerability or weakness.

Conclusion
One form in which emotion can be indirectly addressed is the emotional writing,
shown to have favorable results in physical health, psychological well-being,
physiological functioning, and general functioning (Smyth, 1998). A significant
body of literature exists in highlighting the evidence that emotional writing can have
positive influences on psychological and physical functioning (Pennebaker, 1997). At
its core, great Hip-hop lyricism is emotional writing. An emotional experience that is
vividly expressed through writing serves as a meaningful foundation to create genuine
Hip-hop. As highlighted in this paper, such emotional writing when used in the
context of Hip-hop may facilitate socially and culturally acceptable ways to express
emotions in African American men and possibly for men in general. Based on
previous discussion on the clinical implications of expressed emotion in counseling
settings, culturally acceptable emotional expression through emotional writing may
have significant therapeutic benefits. The benefits may be highlighted in conjunction
to the need for multicultural competency (Sue, Arredondo, & McDavis, 1992), in
what may be salient in modern urban culture.

Research implications
While various researchers have studied the effectiveness of Hip-hop as a mode of
therapy (DeCarlo & Hockman, 2003; Elligan, 2004; Gonzalez & Hayes, 2009;
Kobin & Tyson, 2006; Travis & Deepak, 2011; Tyson, 2002, 2003), more research
is needed to advance the intervention in the counseling setting. The most urgent
need more research in this process revolves around defining the structure and
method of the intervention. For this reason, initial qualitative examinations may be
particularly helpful in drawing the experiences of emotional writing within the
context of Hip-hop. Results may be valuable in distilling specific examples of
therapeutic interactions and participants’ processes. Moreover, studies must be
 Emotional exploration in men 221

conducted to provide empirical data on HHSWT for its impact on well-being and
clinical symptom measures. It would be especially essential to develop a structured
model based on these results in advancing the possible efficacy of HHSWT.

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