Łódź Realities in the Hip-Hop Works of Adam Ostrowski (a.k.a. O.S.T.R.)

Abstract

This work attempts to present the image of Łódź in the musical creations of rapper Adam Ostrowski (a.k.a. O.S.T.R.) and to analyze which specific characteristics of the Łódź have contributed to the local development of the music genre known as rap. The article examines selected tracks: ŁDZ Skit, Obiecana Ziemia (Promised Land), Reprezentuj (Represent), Tabasko, Tak się zaczęło (That’s How It Started), and Z-łodzi-eje (From Łódź), through which connections between hip-hop and the specificity of Łódź are demonstrated. O.S.T.R., who hails from Bałuty, frequently references his city in his works, even use it as the backdrop for his songs. The research established that the rapper describes Łódź very concretely – often emphasizing its flaws (widespread poverty, lack of opportunities for residents) and its dark side (the city as a place of crime, pathology, and deviance), while simultaneously making these elements intriguing and attractive through their grotesqueness.