Cut From A Different Cloth: Examining the Role Hip-Hop Plays in Belonging at Select Institutions of Higher Education.

Hip-Hop initially was the soundtrack of suppressed inner city Black and Latino people, Hip-Hop culture is comprised of a historical timeline that recounts the experiences and influences of its participants. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impact that Hip-Hop culture and organizational involvement had on sense of belonging and academic achievement for students of color enrolled at Historically White Institutions during the 2020-2021 academic year. Interview questions were developed for the purpose of examining Hip-Hop culture’s impact on the study participants through their lived experiences as relates to their sense of belonging to their HWI and academic success at their HWI. This qualitative research study, framed by student engagement and retention theories, strived to fill the gap in the scholarship of Hip-Hop research. Data collection was comprised of in-depth personal interviews conducted virtually via Zoom. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was the preferred method for this research because of its “concern with exploring experience in its own terms;” IPA permits academic scholars to explore how people make sense of important life experiences (Smith et al., 2009, p. 1). Interpretive phenomenological analysis served as both the process and product used to describe the participants’ experiences as students of color holding membership in Hip-Hop student organizations at HWIs. Utilizing the participants’ lived experiences, their personal narratives were fashioned into a detailed study. This study, based on the lived experiences shared by students of color a part of Hip-Hop organizations at HWIs, could provide a foundation for other scholars looking to comprehend the impact of Hip-Hop culture on students globally.