Ivy Tang
It is not an overstatement that digital social media is transforming our society. In fact, it is dominating the global economy. Consequently, viewing social media as an opportunity for upward social mobility, some Black young residents in disadvantaged neighborhoods choose to become drill rappers to compete on a global stage—performing hyper-violent gangsta rap that claims to document street life and violent criminality. By exaggerating their ruthlessness, drillers perform the thrills of the “gangsta world” to their audience. In return, although unlikely, they may receive a ticket out of poverty.
In Ballad of the Bullet, Stuart articulates the role and influence of digital cultural production in urban poor communities while unmasking how social media reinforces the long-standing inequalities in our already stratified society. Specifically, Stuart walks his readers (those who have interest in learning more about urban poverty or drill music) into his time spent with a group of Chicago-based drillers named Corner Boys—explaining the motivations and consequences behind these young men from precarious neighborhoods using digital social media to commodify violence and urban poverty.
How do these drillers, without the resources to promote their songs and videos, standout from the rest of the internet? Stuart suggests the answer lies in two essential strategies—manipulating the algorithms and conveying the authenticity of their exaggerated violent nature. For the former, they begin with utilizing the combination of uploading an excessive amount of videos, collaborating with established drillers, and creating diss tracks to grab attention. Then, they hold that attention by saturating their content with provocative images of street violence and gang life. For the latter, they use social media platforms to validate their authenticity by uploading images of themselves flourishing items (gun, money, etc.) related to street hustling.
Yet, it is mostly curation.
As Stuart explains, drillers tend to polish their mundane activities in a more violent light to convey one message to their audience—it is not just for show. However, some members of the Corner Boys do not even know how to use a gun properly. In fact, from producing music and shooting music videos to maintaining their online reputation, an incredible amount of collective effort is required. For digital production, drillers rely on music producers, sound engineers, and videographers to capture the nuance of their “real street life.” In terms of showcasing authenticity, drillers depend on outside help, consisting of bloggers, citizen journalists, and fellow gang members (shooters) to create violent content.
Then, who consumes the driller’s content? Through direct observation, Stuart describes three distinct types of audiences—youth from privileged communities hoping to overcome mundanity by aligning themselves with stereotypical urban predators, sex tourism involving women looking for exotic sexual experiences, and middle-class Blacks recruit drillers as props in their performances of morality. Although the drillers may receive rewards economically and emotionally from such interactions, these relationships reinforce social differences and legitimize stigma.
Thanks to Stuart, the harsh reality under the “glamorous appearance” of the drill world is revealed—these precarious young men remain disadvantaged despite their efforts. In other words, social media not only failed to come in handy for drillers to achieve upward mobility, but it also reinforced their already disadvantaged social position. By utilizing accessible language, Stuart reaches a broad range of audiences. From prioritizing the richness of interactions, Stuart not only treats his participants as “complex individuals” just like the rest of us but also avoids reinforcing stereotypes of precarious communities. From connecting his argument to sociological theories such as the “context-collapse theory”—when public figures intentionally display their “behind the scenes” behaviors to allude their audience into
believing their authenticity—Stuart proposes a convincing analysis when arguing how drillers manipulate social media to perform their roles as violent gangsters to their targeted audience.
But Stuart does not stop here.
Stuart utilizes the “context-collapse theory” to address the causes behind urgent social issues. For instance, Stuart discovers how drillers flood the internet with curated hyper-violent content to persuade the public of their authenticity is one of the central reasons behind the political narrative of the increasing violence in South Chicago—even the statistical data says otherwise. Furthermore, unlike those helicopter researchers who abandon their field site after their research, Stuart continues urging for systemic change to address issues of urban poverty and street violence while providing possible solutions, including but not limited to encouraging local organization and community organization’s efforts to create safe spaces and artistic outlets for young people.
Nevertheless, like every field-based research, Ballad of the Bullet does not scream perfection.
Knowing the Corner Boys’ efforts in curating online reputations and their fears of ruining such an image, would Ballad of the Bullet ruin such efforts? Most importantly, would Stuart confidently conclude that disclosing the performative nature of these drillers would not bring any harm to their career?
Overall, Stuart highlights how digital technology may worsen social issues of urban poverty and violence—reinforcing the long-standing inequalities in our already stratified society. Thus, this blog encourages those reading not to withhold a bystander position—even simply sharing this blog with your surroundings may help to raise more awareness. Most importantly, Stuart reminds us of the imparity of re-examining our social media consumption—preventing us from overlooking the “ugly truth” behind one’s “glamorous online persona.” Lastly, this blog also aims to convey the following message—sociological problems do not solely exist in the academic world but are closely associated with everyone in our society. Ballad of the Bullet proves such a point.