Benchwarmers never ride foreign: John Henryism as the underpinning for hustle culture in hip hop

This article argues that high-effort coping with environmental stressors, i.e. John Henryism, lies at the heart of hip hop’s hustle culture. Adapted from social epidemiology literature, John Henryism is defined as high-effort coping related to overcoming environmental psychosocial stressors. I argue that the link between John Henryism and hip hop can be traced to the musical genre’s inception and is embedded in the lyrics and the names of rappers. This article traces the history of John Henryism and hip hop, connects John Henryism to hip hop’s hustle culture, maps Big K.R.I.T.’s lyrics from ‘Boobie Miles’ to the John Henryism Active Coping Scale (JHAC12) and suggests future directions. Implications suggest that by recognizing the connection between John Henryism and hip hop, music historians, epidemiologists, artists and creators and appreciators and fans can develop a wider, more nuanced understanding of the genre.