In this paper, I identify new approaches to analyzing flow in Tamil language rap, and through this analysis, argue for broader conceptions of flow and rhyme in rap music. Flow refers to rappers’ lyrical delivery, particularly pertaining to parameters such as rhyme, rhythm, and vocal pitch (Adams 2009; Komaniecki 2019). The art of rap lies uniquely between speech and song, and theorizations of flow must therefore be grounded in rap’s specific linguistic medium. Scholars have examined how rappers in languages other than English have creatively redefined flow and rhyme in accordance with the affordances and limitations of those languages (Manabe 2006; Park 2021). I bring this framework to the understudied body of rap in the Tamil language, which differs significantly from English in its syntax, phonology, and prosody.

I propose some important rhyming techniques that overcome the challenges of—and exploit the affordances of—the Tamil language in rap. These include: multisyllabic end rhymes, head rhymes, translingual rhymes, and phonetic rhymes. I contextualize these techniques within the phonology and syntax of the Tamil language and existent Tamil prosodic conventions, and illustrate their use in two songs by rapper Paal Dabba: “Kaathu Mela” (2024) and “170CM” (2023). This paper thus not only offers analytical techniques for Tamil rap, but an important lens with which to address the crucial issues of linguistic evolution, creativity, and hybridity in popular musics around the world.

Over the past 15 years, hip-hop has become increasingly popular within Vietnamese youth culture. One of the artists at the forefront is Suboi. I would like to present an article focusing on the representation of gender that Suboi puts forth in her work. As a famous female rapper within Vietnam, Suboi crafts contemporary images of Vietnamese women for a global audience. For instance, her music video for CONG (2018, Suboi Entertainment) philosophically deals with the subject of labor (cong) and plays with images of Vietnamese women factory workers, using lyrics, choreography, and staging to subvert conventional narratives. While there is a vast amount of literature on global hip-hops, hip-hop in Southeast Asia is undertheorized. I will draw from pre-existing literature on global hip-hop (Catherine Appert, Jason Ng) staging gender within hip-hop (Liz Przybylski, Noriko Manabe) and Vietnamese gender and aesthetics (Trinh T. Minh Ha, Martina Nguyen, Ben Tran). My research will analyze lyrics, music videos, and interviews, within frameworks of gender and post-coloniality in Vietnam. I ask: In what ways does Suboi engage with prior representations of Vietnamese women in her work? How does Suboi create contemporary representations of Vietnamese women, and how are they presented to domestic and global audiences? How does Suboi appropriate gendered regional/national symbols and vocabularies in crafting her identity as an artist? I argue that in staging these images, Suboi offers a unique aesthetic of contemporary female Vietnamese identity, while navigating the neoliberal market demands of the music industry.

In Okinawa, hip-hop has emerged as a powerful site of cultural resistance, where young rappers gather weekly in cyphers at American Village, near the U.S. military base, transforming public spaces into arenas of political expression. A cypher—a freestyle rap session where MCs take turns improvising verses—has long been a cornerstone of hip-hop culture, fostering community, competition, and social commentary. Drawing from the global tradition of cyphers rooted in Black musical resistance, these gatherings serve as a disruption of Okinawa’s contemporary political landscape, challenging the lingering effects of Japan’s neocolonial policies and the enduring U.S. military presence. This paper explores how hip-hop in Okinawa—both through independent grassroots movements and the work of prominent artists like Awich and OZworld—interpolates traditional shima-uta melodies, creating a sonic bridge between Okinawa’s past and its contested present. While hip-hop serves as a medium for young rappers to voice their frustrations and reclaim their identity, it has also been strategically embraced by local politicians seeking to engage young voters. Through an ethnographic study of street-level cyphers, independent labels, and mainstream artists in Tokyo and Okinawa, respectively, this paper examines the ways in which Okinawan hip-hop negotiates racial, cultural, and political tensions, positioning itself within a larger global network of resistance. By tracing the intersections of hip-hop, race, and political agency in Okinawa, this study highlights how local artists disrupt dominant narratives and use music as a force for social change, asserting Okinawa’s autonomy within the broader framework of Japanese and U.S. geopolitical negotiations.

When hip hop music and culture reached Aotearoa New Zealand in the mid-1980s local youth quickly adapted the genre to reflect Māori and Pasifika aesthetics and values, resulting in a hip hop environment rooted in Indigenous cultural revitalization and resistance to colonial oppression. Although Aotearoa hip hop artists embraced these aspects of the culture, many also displayed the hegemonic masculine behaviors and traits often expressed in mainstream American hip hop, such as overt misogyny, homophobia, competitiveness, and emotional suppression. Women and LGBTQIA+ individuals bear the brunt of the negative effects of hegemonic masculinity; however, this social construction also places substantial limitations on cisgendered heterosexual men who often struggle to cope with the trauma it causes. Notwithstanding its pervasiveness, I came across a number of hip hop artists during my fieldwork in Aotearoa (2024-2025) who are pushing back against the restrictions and damages of hegemonic masculinity in large part by becoming the role models they needed during their youth. I argue that through music and community engagement these artists reconstruct Aotearoa hip hop to reflect the new masculinity; one that embraces vulnerability, encourages empathy, makes space for others, and uplifts peers. This research is based on observations at live performances, cyber ethnography, and interviews with artists currently active in the cities of Wellington and Auckland on the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. In this presentation, I expand upon extant studies on resistance strategies in Aotearoa hip hop by providing an in-depth analysis of how gender expression contributes to this discourse.