Hip Hop culture has received a significant amount of criticism from scholars and public figures for the emphatic celebration of violence, misogyny, and materialism commonly at the center of its most prominent mass media products (hip hop music and hip hop music videos). Researchers have attempted to measure the influence of hip hop mass media on violence, male/female relationships, drug use and other social phenomena within African American communities. Yet, quantitative and qualitative researchers often interpret the relationship without questioning whether or not hip hop mass media actually has an impact on African Americans' lived experiences as men and women in a highly stratified society.

The purpose of this study was to explore hip hop mass media's relationship with African Americans' conceptualization of gender roles. Findings from in-depth interviews with eight African Americans revealed that the respondents reported no relationship between hip hop mass media and their perception of gender roles. Respondents reported that socially expected gender roles were fulfilled in accordance with the needs of the household rather than the dominant schema for gender roles. The family system emerged as an important factor in mitigating the influence of hip hop mass media on African American youth, a group the respondents identified as very influential group. Future studies should investigate relationships within the family system that mediate between youth and the social world.