Artist Brooke Candy made hip-hop and pop music. This paper investigates and finds out through phonetic analysis that Brooke Candy uses more features of African American Vernacular English in hip-hop than in pop music. The song “Das Me” from 2012 serves to represent Candy’s language use during hip-hop music, while the song “Happy Days” from 2016 represents the language use during pop music performances. Candy’s use of African American English (AAE) is then compared to her speech when not performing, which is achieved by analysing a short interview of Candy.
However, before the analysis, there is essential information and important concepts that need to be provided. Firstly, there is a closer look at both hip-hop culture and language with a short excursion on AAE as well as popular culture, pop music and its language. Other important concepts, such as “crossing”, linguistic appropriation, and performed language, are explained in the following part, while also providing a brief overview of the Eberhardt and Freeman article. Having established the theoretical framework, the two songs and the video are analysed for AAE features. After the analysis, the results are discussed until lastly this paper finishes with some concluding remarks.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Hip-hop vs pop: Culture and language
- 2.1 Hip-hop culture and language
- 2.2 Popular culture, pop music and its language
- 3. Important sociolinguistic concepts and previous research
- 3.1 Crossing and linguistic appropriation
- 3.2 Performed language
- 3.3 Previous research: Iggy Azalea as an example of a white artist crossing to AAE
- 4. Data and Methods
- 5. Analysis
- 5.1 Morphosyntactic features
- 5.2 Phonological features
- 6. Discussion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the use of African American English (AAE) by white American artist Brooke Candy in her music, comparing her usage across different musical genres (hip-hop and pop) and comparing it to her non-performance speech. The study aims to understand how and why Candy utilizes AAE, and whether this use correlates with the genre of her music.
- The use of AAE by white artists in hip-hop and pop music.
- The relationship between musical genre (hip-hop vs. pop) and language use.
- The concept of "crossing" and linguistic appropriation in music performance.
- The sociolinguistic aspects of performed language.
- The comparison of Brooke Candy's AAE usage in her music with her everyday speech.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the research topic by focusing on the controversial use of AAE by white artists, particularly Iggy Azalea. It then introduces Brooke Candy as a case study, highlighting her use of AAE in her music despite her background and the evolution of her musical style from hip-hop to pop. The chapter establishes the research question concerning the correlation between Candy's genre shifts and her AAE usage. It outlines the methodology, including the analysis of two songs ("Das Me" and "Happy Days") and an interview, and details the structure of the paper.
2. Hip-hop vs pop: Culture and language: This section provides crucial background information by examining the cultural and linguistic characteristics of hip-hop and pop music. It explores the integral role of AAE in hip-hop culture, emphasizing its origins and its connection to the "keeping it real" ethos. The chapter also contrasts hip-hop’s street origins and association with authenticity with pop music's commercially driven nature and its tendency towards standard North American English. This lays the groundwork for understanding the potential motivations behind Candy's language choices.
3. Important sociolinguistic concepts and previous research: This chapter defines key sociolinguistic concepts relevant to the analysis, including "crossing," linguistic appropriation, and performed language. It provides a brief overview of Eberhardt and Freeman's (2015) research on Iggy Azalea's AAE usage, contextualizing Candy's case within existing scholarship. The chapter establishes the theoretical framework for understanding the nuances of language choice in musical performance and the social implications of linguistic appropriation.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
African American English (AAE), Brooke Candy, Hip-hop, Pop music, Linguistic appropriation, Crossing, Performed language, Sociolinguistics of performance, Language variation, Genre, Authenticity.
FAQ: Analysis of Brooke Candy's Use of African American English in Hip-Hop and Pop Music
What is the main topic of this research paper?
This paper examines the use of African American English (AAE) by white American artist Brooke Candy in her music. It compares her AAE usage across different musical genres (hip-hop and pop) and compares it to her non-performance speech. The study aims to understand how and why Candy utilizes AAE and whether this use correlates with the genre of her music.
What are the key themes explored in this research?
Key themes include the use of AAE by white artists in hip-hop and pop music; the relationship between musical genre (hip-hop vs. pop) and language use; the concept of "crossing" and linguistic appropriation in music performance; the sociolinguistic aspects of performed language; and a comparison of Brooke Candy's AAE usage in her music with her everyday speech.
What is the methodology used in this research?
The methodology involves analyzing two of Brooke Candy's songs ("Das Me" and "Happy Days") and an interview. The analysis focuses on morphosyntactic and phonological features of her language use.
What sociolinguistic concepts are central to this study?
The study focuses on key sociolinguistic concepts such as "crossing," linguistic appropriation, and performed language. The research builds upon existing scholarship, particularly referencing Eberhardt and Freeman's (2015) work on Iggy Azalea's use of AAE.
How does the research compare hip-hop and pop music?
The research contrasts the cultural and linguistic characteristics of hip-hop and pop music. It highlights the integral role of AAE in hip-hop culture and contrasts it with pop music's tendency towards standard North American English. This comparison helps understand the potential motivations behind Brooke Candy's language choices.
What is the significance of Iggy Azalea in this research?
Iggy Azalea serves as a point of comparison and contextualization. The research acknowledges the controversy surrounding her use of AAE and positions Brooke Candy's case within the existing scholarship on white artists' appropriation of AAE.
What are the chapter summaries?
The paper includes an introduction outlining the research question and methodology, a section comparing hip-hop and pop culture and language, a section detailing relevant sociolinguistic concepts and previous research, a data and methods section, an analysis section focusing on morphosyntactic and phonological features, and finally a discussion section.
What are the keywords associated with this research?
Keywords include African American English (AAE), Brooke Candy, Hip-hop, Pop music, Linguistic appropriation, Crossing, Performed language, Sociolinguistics of performance, Language variation, Genre, and Authenticity.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2019, Brooke Candy's "Das Me" and “Happy Days”. Use of African American English in Hip-Hop and Pop Music, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1254828
