Popular North-American commercial rap music videos are believed to (re)produce heteronormative cultural narratives of femininity and masculinity. Yet, there is no knowledge about the relationship between consumption of idealized femininity and masculinity in rap music videos and young women's en men’s self-evaluations. Kim's PhD research aims to explore how North-American and Dutch adolescents and emerging adults perceive ideals of gender-appropriate behavior, physical appearance, and mate desirability in commercial rap music videos. Grounded in Social comparison theory and Self-discrepancy theory, it furthermore aims to understand whether these young people compare themselves to these ideals, and if so, how this informs their self-images. Kim is also investigating how strip club dancers from the U.S. South may function as gatekeepers ('street A&R's') in the (U.S. Southern) commercial rap world. Her dissertation director is Prof. Tom Ter Bogt (Utrecht University), and her second supervisor is Prof. Dionne Stephens (Florida International University).
Kim maintains a role as researcher of the Re/presenting Europe group @Utrecht University and Erasmus University alongside Dr. Rachel Gillet of the History and Art History department.
Kim's media appearances related to her research and Hip Hop expertise:
- Documentary/television 'Ismail investigates' (the history of drill rap) - NPO3
- Television program 'Once upon a timeline' (pop culture analysis) - NPO3
- Documentary/online 'Realness in Hip Hop' (women in hip hop) - No Man's Land website
- Radio program/television program 'The News BV' (Megan Thee Stallion's TIME cover) - NPO1
- Online National News, NOSstories, Doja Cat's new song Demons
- Online National News, NOSstories, beef between Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj
- Radio program 'The News BV' (MF DOOM and Yasiin Bey) - NPO1
- Radio program 'The News BV' (50 years of Hip Hop) - NPO1
- Radio program 'The News BV' (Hip Hop feminism) - NPO1
- Radio program 'The News BV' (the musical legacy of Aaliyah) - NPO1
- Radio program 'The News BV' (politics and rap music) - NPO1
- Radio program 'This is the Day' (explicit lyrics in commercial rap) - NPO1
- Radio program ''The Night of...ZWART' (history of rap, PhD research, hiphopfeminism) - NPO1
- Radioprogram 'The Night of...BNN/VARA' (protest songs within Hip hop) - NPO1
- Radioprogram 'The Night of...BNN/VARA' (50 years of Hip Hop)
- Radioprogram 'The Night of...KRO/NCRV' (50 years of Hip Hop) - NPO1
- Radio program 'Ask me Anything' (drill rap) - BNR radio
- Radio program 'NPO Blend' (Media framing and rap) - NPO luisteren
- Radio program 'Real Talk with Rashad Richey' (rap music and global youth) - CBS Atlanta
- Radio program 'Hip Hop Speakz Atlanta' (rap music and global youth)
- Radio program 'Real Talk Real Stories' (rap music and global youth) - It's your thang radio Atlanta
- Radio program 'Real Talk Real Stories' (PhD research)
- Newspaper 'Het Financieele Dagblad' (Lizzo's legacy)
- Newspaper 'Trouw' (Hip Hop feminism)
- Newspaper 'Volkskrant' (Beyonce's visual language)
- Newspaper 'the Parool' (Hip Hop feminism)
- Newspaper 'Atlanta Daily World' (rap music and global youth)
- Online news article 'RTL 4 news' (Kanye West)
- Online news article 'FOX 8 Cleveland' (interview with C-Note)
- Article magazine 'OneWorld' (Hip Hop language on Netflix)
- Article magazine 'OneWorld' (gender representation in Hip Hop)
- Article magazine 'VARA gids' (Compton's musical legacy)
- Article magazine 'VARA gids' (Fight the Power - Hip Hop)
- Article magazine 'Parool' (Hip Hop feminism)
- Videocast 'Pakhuis de Zwijger' (beauty ideals in rap)
- Videocast 'Pakhuis de Zwijger'/AT5 (Hip Hop and inclusion)
- Podcast 'Unfiltered Atlanta' (hip hop education and entrepreneurship)
- Podcast 'We Kill Cowboys Atlanta' (rap music and global youth)
- Podcast 'Lead the Wave' (rap music and global youth)
- Podcast 'Real Talk Real Stories Atlanta' (PhD research)
- Podcast 'JaJaJaNeeNeeNee' in collaboration University of Amsterdam (The social history of rap music)
- Podcast 'SvJ media' (90s rap music)
- Podcast Sony Music x BRAL (50 years of hip hop)
- Podcast 'Barkidoezoe' (PhD research on strip club dancers as gatekeepers)