Message rap and presence production

the communication of rhythm and poetry in rap music

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5752/P.2237-9967.2025v14e36287

Keywords:

Rap, Music, Materiality of Communication, Hip hop

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to contribute to the field of rap studies in Brazil by proposing a conceptual
dialogue between communication theory and hip-hop culture. We will discuss the notions of the “fifth
element” and “production of presence” to analyze how rap music communicates, paying attention to both
its discursive and material dimensions. Our aim is to offer some initial theoretical insights to support the
hypothesis that rap’s communicative power lies in its ability to simultaneously generate meaning (fifth
element/knowledge) and aesthetic ecstasy (production of presence), particularly when oral poetry and
musical rhythm operate in tandem. In this sense, we seek to emphasize the materiality of sound—especially
rhythmic patterns and heavy beats—as a central element in the communicative dynamics of rap
music.

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Author Biography

Gabriel Gutierrez, UFRJ

Pesquisador pós-doc em Comunicação Social (PPGCOM ECO/UFRJ). Doutor em Comunicação Social pela UERJ. Pesquisador associado do NEPCOM-ECO/UFRJ e CAC/UERJ.          

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Published

2025-12-23

How to Cite

GUTIERREZ, Gabriel. Message rap and presence production: the communication of rhythm and poetry in rap music. Dispositiva, Belo Horizonte, v. 14, p. e36287, 2025. DOI: 10.5752/P.2237-9967.2025v14e36287. Disponível em: https://periodicos.pucminas.br/dispositiva/article/view/36287. Acesso em: 19 apr. 2026.

Issue

Vol. 14 (2025): Free Theme and Special Issue: Dramaturgies on/from the stage: arts, bodies, and communication

Section

FREE THEME ARTICLES

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Copyright (c) 1969 Gabriel Gutierrez

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