At first sight, Rap and Gospel music do not seem to have much in common. That is why I attempt to analyze whether there are any similarities or just discrepancies. The topic deals with The Variety in the Lexicon of Rap and Gospel and therefore, the aim of this paper is the linguistic description of the special lexicon. The foundation of this paper is provided by the presentation held on the 13th of July 2010 in the seminar "Varieties of English".
I have chosen this topic, because the two styles of music have a similar history, but developed into opposite directions and they are, furthermore, both mostly sung by people of African American descent. Another reason for my choice is that I want to know if the images of Rap and Gospel I have in mind are really true or just prejudices: Are Rap lyrics full of swear words? Is Gospel by some means or other related to Rap?
One of the images I have in mind, are the lexicons of Rap and Gospel, because when you listen to two typical song you will clearly hear the differences in speaking and in the choice of words. For my analysis I chose two representative songs: Only God Can Judge Me by the ’gangster rapper’ Tupac Shakur (1971-1996) and Judge Me Not by the baptist preacher Timothy Wright (1947-2009).
I will start with a general overview of Rap and Gospel, give a short history of their development, so that the same roots of the styles of music become more obvious. In the following, I will present the results of the analyzed domains of register, commencing with the use of swear words and the application to the five types of linguistic forms of swearwords. Then I will go on with the use of slang, and especially the phonological representation of the features of African American Vernacular English, due to the descent of the two singers.
Finally, I will summarize my results in a conclusion at the end of this paper.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1 Introduction
- 2 History of Rap and Gospel
- 2.1 Rap Music
- 2.2 Gospel Music
- 3 Results of analyzed domains of register
- 3.1 Swear Words.
- 3.2 Slang
- 4 Conclusion
- 5 References
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper analyzes the lexical similarities and differences between Rap and Gospel music. The objective is to provide a linguistic description of the specialized lexicon used in these musical genres. The paper focuses on the history of Rap and Gospel, examining the shared roots of the two genres and their distinct developments. It also investigates the use of swear words, slang, and African American Vernacular English in both styles of music. The foundation of the paper is based on a presentation delivered in the seminar "Varieties of English".
- The shared African American origins of Rap and Gospel music.
- The distinct developmental paths of Rap and Gospel music.
- The use of swear words and slang in both genres.
- The influence of African American Vernacular English on the lexicon of Rap and Gospel.
- The contrasting image and reality of Rap and Gospel lyrics.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction establishes the paper's objective and outlines its approach. It highlights the shared origins of Rap and Gospel in African American culture and their contrasting stylistic developments.
The second chapter explores the historical roots of both genres. It traces their origins to African tribal chants, which evolved into plantation work songs. While these shared roots are acknowledged, the chapter emphasizes the diverging paths that Rap and Gospel music took from this point on.
The third chapter delves into the lexical features of Rap and Gospel music. It examines the use of swear words in both genres, analyzing the five types of linguistic forms of swearwords. The chapter then explores the use of slang, specifically focusing on the phonological representation of African American Vernacular English.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper focuses on the lexical differences and similarities of Rap and Gospel music. Key themes include the shared history and divergent development of the two genres, the use of swear words and slang, and the influence of African American Vernacular English. The analysis is based on representative songs from both genres.
- Citar trabajo
- Kim Vahnenbruck (Autor), 2010, The Variety in the Lexicon of Rap and Gospel, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/165209
