"Not All that Glitters is Gold":

This research explores the meanings of violence, drugs, and gang/mafia affiliations within Italian trap culture, a youth subculture emerged in Italy in 2014 united by a passion for trap music. The methodology - based on virtual ethnography, ethnographic content analysis and interviews – was conducted on Instagram where trappers create and disseminate their contents that serve as an expressive purpose in terms of reputation building, but also shed lights on crime’s instrumental use. Trap is criminalised by moral entrepreneurs getting confused on the authenticity of reality and virtuality towards trappers’ self-portray as extreme criminals in songs and Instagram. This research demonstrates that these criminalisation processes reinforce their criminal behaviours which are shown to be entertaining/carnivalesque performances to entrepreneurially attract audience and achieve the trap dream consisting of monetary success. Despite young people’s ambition to consumeristic lifestyles, the excessive individualism - resulting from climbing the trap-ladder - reveals a deep-seated sadness spread among the culture that belie within the meanings of gang/mafia affiliations, and new drug uses.