Golden age hip hop from the 1980s primarily targeted males ages 16-40. The lyrics often dealt with dark subject matter like drug use, gang violence, sex, and the struggles of life that were relatable to lower-income audiences. While some higher-income listeners related due to growing up with hip hop artists in the 80s and 90s, the genre generally fulfilled audiences' needs for self-expression and fulfillment through material goods and social status. The stereotypical fan was depicted as a young, fashion-conscious person interested in clothing, cars, and street culture who may have been surrounded by drugs, sex, and violence as a child.

1. Audience Profile – Genre: Golden Age Hip Hop
Target Audience:
Gender and Age (Hartley’s 7 Subjectivities)
and why
Males of the age 16-40. This is because golden age
HipHop is generally a male orientated genre from the 80s
in which male rappers express their way of life, and their
views on life which can be dark. A lot of general hip hop
lyrics are sex and drug based which often doesn’t appeal
to many female audiences. Teenagers are a huge target
audience for hip hop as it translates a lot of their life
experiences into the music, so is relatable. The lyrics in-
powers males from the ages 16-40 making them feel like
they have a sense of control in their life. Additionally the
beats give an uplifting feel and a party vibe which many
teens seek, this is also found to be the reason for teens
listening to other genres such as Drum and Bass, Garage
and House.
Socio-Economic Needs and why:
Hip Hop is translatable to many social classes, its thought
to mainly be targeted at lower class people (category D
and E) who feel suppression and struggles of life, where
the lyrics will be relatable such as drug use and gang
violence. However hip hop can also be relatable to
people in higher class’s who when younger were brought
up listening hip hop in the 80s and 90s listening to artists
such as the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and Quasimoto.
Name: Jude Munday
Candidate Number: 3092

2. Audience Profile – Genre: Golden Age Hip Hop
Target Audience:
Katz’ Uses & Gratifications Theory and
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
Often HipHop informs and educates people on what life
on the street is life however the majority of this genres
listeners will already know what this life style is like as
they live it. Additionally the audience are generally social
climbers who are very attached to materials such as
clothing (fission is a huge part of hip hop)and cars,
further to this Hip-hop audiences tend not to be social
careers, I know this as the lyrics within the music are
usually negative towards social society.
Stereotype(s):
The typical stereotype of someone who listens to Hip-
hop is generally a young person who cares about
clothing, fashion and possessions. Street wear is one key
part of the stereotype, good fashion generally gains
respect and acknowledgement between people on the
street, however alternatively someone with a bad fashion
sense tends to not be accepted as much as others in a
gang social environment. Further to this drugs, sex and
violence are stereotypically a key theme within Golden
age hip hop especially around the 80s-90s, we can see
this being expressed through the music, as this is what
they have learned and been surround ded by during their
raising from a child to a young adult.
Name: Jude Munday
Candidate Number: 3092