Abstract: This work is an attempt to update the idea of success in the US through the analysis of the work of two artists: Ocean Vuong and Tekashi 6ix9ine. The idea of success has been deeply criticized as a category derived from capital. In this work, I will trace the concept of success and look at it through the lens of racial minorities and the struggle of the lower class.
Ocean Vuong and Tekashi 6ix9ine embody contrasting spectrums of sensibility: one is a heterosexual man that presents himself as homophobic and macho in his songs and videos, the other one is a queer person with a deep sense of respect for others, one is a convicted gang member, the other one is always grateful to his peers and predecessors, one likes to portray himself with tons of 100 dollar bills, while the other one has a foundation that supports Asian American writers; both had meteoric rises in their careers and became benchmarks of their disciplines.
Through the unfolding trajectories of these artists, we can observe the performative aspect of the American dream today.

Lázaro Gabino Rodríguez