A boombox, a portable stereo system capable of playing radio stations or recorded
music at relatively high volume.
Ghettoblaster is a term that can be considered insulting or complimentary depending on the context. The word originated in the US, apparently reflecting the belief that they are
popular in poor inner-city neighborhoods (ghettos), especially those populated by black Americans. Ghettoblaster rather than boom box became the common term in the UK and
Australia for large portable stereos, perhaps because it carried less meaning.
The term carries a connotation of power and disregard of social rules.
The word is racially inflammatory in some circumstances but has also been embraced as a term of
black, urban pride — and, like many such terms, has been adopted by parts of the non-black
American community. It is used as the name of at least one magazine and one recording company, and is also a popular stereotype element typically associated with funk, hip-hop and
rap, African-American culture, '70s and '
80s culture, breakdancing, and even racist jokes.
