First of all, this term paper will give some general information about the variety African American Vernacular English itself, its origins and who the speakers of AAVE are. Furthermore, it will give an overview of some features of AAVE and finally the analysis of two of the features on different rap songs from the famous rapper Snoop Dogg. The first feature that I will be looking at is zero copula and the second feature is the omission of the third-person singular –s in the present tense. In this term paper I will investigate the occurrence of these two features in Snoop Dogg’s lyrics from his first album “Doggystyle” and his latest album “Bush” and if they decreased or increased with time. Since music plays such a huge part in African American culture it should be possible to see these features of AAVE in the lyrics. The analysis will contain 16 rap songs from Snoop Dogg’s first album Doggystyle from 1993 and 10 rap songs from his latest album Bush from 2015.
English is a language with many varieties and also one of the most spoken languages in the world. The varieties of English are results of colonial expansion and may differ from each other in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is the variety that people associate with as the language used by the black community. The additional term vernacular refers to the speech style in everyday communication and differentiates black African American Vernacular English speakers from black speakers of Standard English. Especially in rap and hip-hop music the number of black performers is very high since it was introduced as a new music genre. The style of language that is used in hip-hop lyrics is highly influenced by the African Americans. AAVE is a variant of English that you can hear every day on the radio or television for example and that also makes it so interesting to analyze its use, features and origin.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What is AAVE?
- Who speaks AAVE?
- The origin of AAVE
- Some important features of AAVE
- Phonological features
- Grammatical features
- Vocabulary of AAVE
- AAVE features in Rap and Hip Hop songs (Snoop Dogg)
- Grammatical features
- Zero copula
- Omission of third-person singular -s in the present tense
- 1993 in comparison to 2015
- Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This term paper aims to provide an analysis of the occurrence of two specific features of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in the rap lyrics of Snoop Dogg, focusing on the changes over time. The paper examines zero copula and omission of the third-person singular –s in the present tense, comparing usage in Snoop Dogg’s albums Doggystyle (1993) and Bush (2015).
- The characteristics and origin of AAVE
- The influence of AAVE on rap and hip-hop music
- The presence of zero copula and omission of the third-person singular –s in AAVE
- An analysis of the use of these features in Snoop Dogg’s lyrics across different eras
- The impact of social factors on the use and evolution of AAVE
Chapter Summaries
- Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the paper's focus, introducing the concept of AAVE as a significant variety of English prevalent in rap and hip-hop music. The study aims to analyze the occurrence of two specific grammatical features in Snoop Dogg's lyrics across different periods.
- What is AAVE?: This chapter delves into the definition and characteristics of AAVE. It discusses the term "vernacular" in relation to everyday speech and explores the historical development of the term itself. Additionally, the chapter discusses who speaks AAVE and factors influencing its usage, including age, social class, and education level.
- The origin of AAVE: This chapter examines three main theories surrounding the origins of AAVE, including the creole theory, the cultural merging theory, and the West African language theory. It explores the historical context, particularly the impact of slavery and the development of linguistic codes and slang among African Americans.
- Some important features of AAVE: This chapter provides an overview of the distinctive features of AAVE, including phonological, grammatical, and lexical characteristics. It serves as a foundation for understanding the two specific features analyzed in the later chapters.
- AAVE features in Rap and Hip Hop songs (Snoop Dogg): This chapter focuses on the presence of AAVE features in rap and hip-hop music, particularly in the lyrics of Snoop Dogg. It outlines the two key grammatical features: zero copula and omission of the third-person singular –s in the present tense. The chapter lays the groundwork for the subsequent analysis of these features in Snoop Dogg's albums.
Keywords
This study focuses on African American Vernacular English (AAVE), rap lyrics, Snoop Dogg, grammatical features, zero copula, omission of the third-person singular -s in the present tense, linguistic analysis, sociolinguistics, language variation, cultural influence, and historical context.
- Quote paper
- Seda Evirgen (Author), 2016, Features of African American Vernacular English in Snoop Dogg’s Rap Lyrics, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/322299
