This abstract shall give another piece of the puzzle to what is considered to be African-American Vernacular English. With scientific aid of well-known concepts by linguists such as Green in particular but also Wolfram, Schilling-Estes, Mufwene and Poplack we want to focus on specific grammatical features of AAVE and to what extend these can be recovered in the Hip-Hop subgenre of American West Coast Gangsta Rap. A small but significant text corpus of four representative songs (added to the appendix in the shape of lyrics) cover the source for a quantitative and qualitative evaluation. The given text shall give a short overview about the origin and different theories on AAVE first and will further on primarily adapt the characteristic linguistic features L. Green and Wolfram & Schilling-Estes worked out and apply them to our little song text corpus.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 What is African-American Vernacular English?
2.1 The Question of Origin
2.2 Linguistic Characteristics of AAVE
2.2.1 Absence of copula for contracted forms of is and are
2.2.2 be indicating recurring activity or state
2.2.3 aint’t for isn’t or didn’t
2.2.4 Third person -s absence in present tense
2.2.5 done indicating completed activity
3 Data Analysis
3.1 The Nature of Gangsta Rap
3.2 AAVE represented in American Gangsta Rap
3.2.1 Copula absence of is and are
3.2.2 be indicating recurring activity or state
3.2.3 aint’t for isn’t or didn’t
3.2.4 Third-person –s absence in present tense:
3.2.5 done indicating completed activity
4 Conclusion
5 Works Cited
6 Appendix
Research Objectives and Key Topics
The primary objective of this study is to examine the presence and usage of specific grammatical features of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) within the American Hip-Hop subgenre of West Coast Gangsta Rap, utilizing a qualitative and quantitative analysis of selected song lyrics.
- Theoretical origins and linguistic classification of AAVE.
- Core grammatical characteristics of AAVE, including copula absence and verbal markers.
- The sociolinguistic context and cultural nature of Gangsta Rap.
- The manifestation of AAVE linguistic markers in contemporary popular music.
- The role of Gangsta Rap as a representative platform for AAVE-speaking communities.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2.1 Copula absence of is and are
Let us start with the omnipresent absence of copula forms of is and are. Within the given four songs of different artists we found five examples of the described phenomena.
“Uhh, and my ambitions as a ridah to catch her while she hot, and horny, go up inside her.” (Song 1, l. 30 )
“Niggaz be actin like they savage.” (Song 4, l. 35)
“This for my niggaz slingin thangs” (Song 3, l. 30)
“Who that queen, bitch?” (Song 3, l. 54)
“You a muslim now.” (Song 2, l. 21)
“That's what they screamin’ as they drill me, but I'm hard to kill.” (Song 1, l. 62)
“They out to get the cabbage.” (Song 4, l. 34)
In all six extracts we certainly miss the copula verb. The second and third person singular as wel as the third person plural occur within this example. In quote 1, 3 and 4 we are dealing with present tense sentences indicative. Interestingly quote 2 deviates from this pattern. Where a linguist would like to see a conjuntive form (“Niggas be acting like they were savage.”) we can not even find the often used third persons plural indicative copula are.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the study's goal to investigate AAVE grammatical features within West Coast Gangsta Rap lyrics.
2 What is African-American Vernacular English?: Discusses the origins, theories, and linguistic characteristics that define AAVE as a systematic variety of English.
3 Data Analysis: Examines the sociolinguistic nature of Gangsta Rap and analyzes specific song lyrics to identify AAVE grammatical markers.
4 Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, confirming that AAVE features are significantly reflected in Gangsta Rap and suggesting paths for future research.
5 Works Cited: Lists the academic sources used to support the linguistic definitions and analysis.
6 Appendix: Contains the full lyrics of the four representative songs analyzed in the study.
Keywords
African-American Vernacular English, AAVE, Gangsta Rap, Hip-Hop, Linguistics, Grammar, Copula Absence, Sociolinguistics, West Coast Rap, Linguistic Features, Dialect, Verbal Markers, Cultural Identity, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper investigates how specific grammatical features characteristic of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) are represented within the lyrics of West Coast Gangsta Rap songs.
Which linguistic variety is analyzed in this work?
The work focuses on African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), examining its grammatical, syntactical, and phonological independence.
What is the primary objective of the study?
The primary goal is to perform a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of AAVE features in a corpus of song lyrics to see to what extent these grammatical rules are present in the Hip-Hop subgenre.
What scientific methodology is applied?
The author adapts established linguistic concepts from scholars such as Green, Wolfram, and Schilling-Estes and applies these criteria to a text corpus of four representative songs.
What topics are covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body covers the origin theories of AAVE, an explanation of specific features like copula absence and the use of 'done', and a detailed data analysis of Gangsta Rap lyrics.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Key terms include AAVE, Gangsta Rap, Hip-Hop, copula absence, sociolinguistics, and dialectal variations.
How does the author define the relationship between Gangsta Rap and AAVE?
The author argues that Gangsta Rap serves as a cultural playground and a platform for representation, where the culture of 'being black' is expressed through features typical of AAVE.
How is the term 'ain't' used in the analyzed lyrics?
The study finds that 'ain't' is frequently used as a substitution for 'isn't', 'didn't', and, surprisingly, as a substitute for the first-person singular 'am not'.
- Quote paper
- Jan Skordos (Author), 2009, African-American Vernacular English within American ‘Gangsta Rap’, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/167287
