Sociolinguistics of Hip Hop music is a relatively new field in sociolinguistics and deals with both social and linguistic aspects of AAVE. Many studies were conducted to analyse Hip Hop lyrics, with both Tupac and Eminem as the target artists; Tupac being the explicitly angry rebel against racial segregation and Eminem being the sarcastic and incredibly eloquent young man who had managed to enter the Hip Hop safe zone of African-Americans and strike them dumb.
However, a detailed comparison study of AAVE features and variations between the two was not yet conducted, or at least published. This small-scale research study aims to analyse five of the most popular songs by each artist, to quantify, compare and contrast AAVE features in some of the most popular lyrics globally and to provide an option for the social background of each song, analysing their purpose, message and language.
This paper will answer two of the most obvious questions in Hip Hop sociolinguistics, i.e. whether there is any difference in use of AAVE features between a black rapper and a white rapper, where both are considered masters of their profession. Another question is whether any of them is linguistically “better” than the other, i.e. leaning towards SE. A common string of features was analysed and quantified for the purpose of comparison and the results were somewhat surprising. However, the songs which were selected have a serious background to them, possibly affecting both artists’ use of language.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Methods
3. Results
3.1. Tupac Shakur
3.1.1. “Changes”
3.1.2. “White Man’s World”
3.1.3. “Ghetto Gospel”
3.1.4. Keep Ya Head Up”
3.1.5. „Until the End of Time“
3.2. Eminem
3.2.1. “Public Enemy #1”
3.2.2. “Like Toy Soldiers”
3.2.3. “We as Americans”
3.2.4. “White America”
3.2.5. “My Name Is”
4. Discussion
Objectives & Themes
This research paper aims to provide a comparative sociolinguistic analysis of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) features in the lyrics of two prominent hip-hop artists, Tupac Shakur and Eminem. The study investigates whether significant differences in AAVE usage exist between a black rapper and a white rapper who are both considered masters of their craft, while also addressing the social context and message behind their selected works.
- Sociolinguistic analysis of AAVE features in rap music.
- Comparative study of language usage between black and white artists.
- Quantification and classification of AAVE markers (contractions, verb omission, negation, etc.).
- Examination of social background and thematic content in hip-hop lyrics.
- Assessment of whether one artist demonstrates a stronger inclination toward Standard English.
Auszug aus dem Buch
3.1.1. “Changes”
„Changes" was a ground-breaking song released in 1998 featuring Talent. As was mentioned in Tupac's biography, he often made references to the reality of African-American status in the 1990s with frequent references to Civil Rights Movement. In “Changes”, he tackles the war on drugs, treatment of black people by the police, the perpetuation of poverty and the value system in urban African American culture and the difficulties of life in the ghetto. "I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black, my stomach hurts, so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch", is an illustration of how many black people in America live in poverty and are not given as many opportunities to do right so instead they divert to being criminals to make ends meet. When he raps "Cops give a damn about a negro?”, he's touching upon a controversial topic of how African Americans, more commonly African American males were targeted by the police, which was often considered positive crime-fighting in that period. Throughout the song, Tupac aims to inspire his people to join him and take a stand against these issues that are holding his people back. He also expresses his disappointment with his own race for the hate and anger they are surrounded by, he says "I got love for my brother, but we can never go nowhere unless we share with each other. We gotta start makin' changes, learn to see me as a brother 'stead of two distant strangers." It appears as if, at a point in time when African Americans had no one trying to inspire them take a stand, Tupac tried to rise to the occasion and be a leader for his people.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Provides an overview of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) as a distinct dialect and introduces the significance of hip-hop as a medium for African-American discourse.
2. Methods: Outlines the quantitative and qualitative approach used to classify and count AAVE features across selected songs from both artists.
3. Results: Presents the findings of the AAVE feature analysis for individual songs by Tupac Shakur and Eminem, accompanied by biographical and sociological context for each.
4. Discussion: Synthesizes the results to compare language patterns between the two artists and evaluates the research findings regarding AAVE usage and the influence of artist background.
Keywords
AAVE, Hip Hop, Tupac Shakur, Eminem, Sociolinguistics, African-American Vernacular English, Standard English, Contractions, Verb omission, Multiple negations, Rap lyrics, Racial segregation, Language variation, Profanities, Cultural identity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
This paper focuses on the sociolinguistics of hip-hop music, specifically investigating the presence and frequency of AAVE features in the lyrics of Tupac Shakur and Eminem.
What are the primary themes explored in the work?
The work explores themes of racial inequality, social justice, the influence of poverty, the struggles of the urban ghetto, freedom of speech, and the personal identity of the artists.
What is the central research question?
The study primarily asks if there is a quantifiable difference in the use of AAVE features between a black rapper and a white rapper, and if one style is linguistically closer to Standard English than the other.
Which scientific methods are applied in this study?
The author employs a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative descriptions of the songs' social background with a quantitative analysis of marked morphological, syntactic, and lexical AAVE features.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section details the linguistic analysis of five specific songs by each artist, providing biographical context for the artists and evaluating specific linguistic markers for every track.
Which key terms characterize the study?
Key terms include AAVE, Hip Hop, Standard English, Contractions, Verb Omission, Multiple Negations, and specific slang markers analyzed within the lyrics.
How does the author define a "toy soldier" in the context of Eminem's work?
The author defines a toy soldier as an acquaintance or follower who is emotionally connected to a cause but is deemed "expendable" by their leadership or the industry.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding language usage?
The author concludes that while there are minor variations, both artists use AAVE features in similar frequencies, with the most significant difference found in the higher use of profanities by Eminem.
- Citation du texte
- Enver Kazić (Auteur), 2016, A Sociolinguistic Study of Hip Hop. AAVE Features in Songs by Tupac Shakur and Eminem, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/334783
