Narco Corridos & Violence

A set of informal street codes that govern inner city environments in the U.S. have been identified by scholar Elijah Anderson. Anderson’s street code has been analyzed in a variety of ways, including via rap lyrics. This analysis documented how reflective culture and the street code is within a nontraditional source - music. By researching a Mexican sub-genre of music known as narco corridos, I extend this work with a qualitative lyrical content analysis. Using a sample size of 100 narco corridos sourced via the music application Spotify, Anderson’s framework was used as a starting point to uncover themes of violence, poverty, and respect. Findings support the existence of the street code in a violent Mexican subculture. To conclude, using music as a nontraditional academic source can be a powerful way to analyze and comprehend crime and culture in other areas of the world.