What happens on the digital street, stays on the digital street? An examination of provocations, threats, and beefs in the online drill culture in Rotterdam

Robert A. Roks*, Jeroen van den Broek

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter/Conference proceedingChapterAcademic

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Abstract

Since 2019, there have been public concerns in the Netherlands about the growing popularity of drill rap, a subgenre of gangsta rap known for its hyperbolic communication of violence in music videos and other social media uploads. Drawing on a netnographic study on Dutch drill in the city of Rotterdam, we illustrate how the drillers in our study use social media and rap music videos on YouTube and Instagram to insult, challenge, threaten and try to expose their rivals (or ‘opps’). Moreover, we provide an overview of the different types of beefs and provocations we came across in our research, with a focus on the online-offline dynamics in these conflicts. Our results show that the communication of violence is especially visible in a broader online drill rap culture. However, despite the frequent violent posts and provocative online content, the number of actual offline violent incidents as a result of these online expressions was limited. Much of the violence expressed by the Rotterdam drillers on social media can be seen as performative and geared more towards the communication of a violent and dangerous image, rather than an actual willingness to commit physical violence.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Routledge International Handbook of Online Deviance
PublisherRoutledge (Taylor & Francis Group)
Chapter27
Pages485-502
Number of pages18
Edition1st edition
ISBN (Electronic)9781040099360
ISBN (Print)9781032234472
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 Sept 2024

Research programs

  • SAI 2005-04 MSS

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