CULTURE FORWARD

ALL DEF DIGITAL

The Report: The Emasculation of Black Men in Hip-Hop

AllDef Digital is Russell Simmons' hip hop media platform, one of the most culturally significant Black media properties in the genre's history.

In 2018, I was commissioned to write and narrate a video essay for AllDef Digital examining one of hip hop's most contested cultural questions. Everyone has an opinion about the state of hip hop. But recently, more and more critics are claiming hip hop is responsible for the emasculation of Black men. Is this true, or are we afraid to let the culture evolve?

Written and narrated by Safra Ducreay. 355 comments. The engagement was not passive.

This piece demonstrates the analytical framework that underpins CultureForward's cultural strategy practice. Before advising a brand on whether it has the authority to enter a cultural conversation, you need to understand what that conversation actually is, what tensions are alive inside it, and what a brand's presence would mean to the people who own it. This video essay is that understanding made visible.

Cultural intelligence is applied to one of the most sensitive and significant questions in Black culture. Published on one of the most credible platforms in hip hop media.

Skills: Cultural Strategy, Cultural Narrative, Cultural Forecasting

Written and Narrated by Safra Ducreay

Edited by Christian Carter