Trading baguettes for arepas: How hardcore French hip‐hop artists are using Medellin and Colombia to imitate/emulate the violent hypermasculine tropes of Pablo Escobar in order to exude toughness in rap videos

Abstract Few places on Earth have seen a more remarkable turnaround than the Colombian city of Medellin. Once dangerous, Medellin is now innovative. Yet, stereotypes remain. Thanks to films and online streaming series, Colombia struggles to remove imagery of its violent past. In recent years, hardcore rap artists from France have increasingly chosen Medellin to film videos despite having no links to Colombia. This association helps these rappers construct a violent narrative that is unavailable to them in France. This paper analyzes how French hip‐hop artists imitate Pablo Escobar by using Colombia as a visual tool to augment street cred.