This thesis investigates the use of African American Vernacular English in contemporary music. AAVE is an ethnic variety spoken by many, though not all, African Americans living in the United States. This dialect does not have one name only, but is also called “Negro dialect,” “Nonstandard Negro English,” “Black English,” “Black Street Speech,” “Black Vernacular English,” “Black Vernacular English,” or “African American English.” I would like to add that some terms are historical. It is crucial to know that researchers call it differently because to a large degree it depends on the time he/she conducted research on this topic. Today, the dialect is either called African American Vernacular English or African American English.
The words “contemporary music” in the title refer to Hip Hop. This music genre was chosen to be investigated because out of the music genres African Americans are involved in, it is the one that generates most of the sales and is the most popular one. The rappers which are going to be analyzed in this thesis use many of the features of the African American vernacular. Given the huge number of AAVE features, only one of them will be analyzed, the copula verb to be, which in the following will only be called “the copula.” According to Wolfram, the copula is “one of the most often described structures of AAVE” (2008: 517). For this reason, the copula might be an interesting feature to look at. When researchers examined AAVE in the past, they did not necessarily take music as a source of data, but rather spoken language. One has to know that language in music is a different genre of language use, which differs from the usual use of the language. Music can be considered an artistic expression, but not “real” speech. Nevertheless, as music has always been and presumably will always be a big part in African American culture, it should be possible to recognize features of AAVE and use music as a reliable source. In the analysis conducted in this thesis, the use of the copula will be examined by having a look at the lyrics of three famous rappers from the US: Tupac, Jay-Z and 50 Cent. Even though the three of them can be assigned to “gangsta rap”, they all differ from each other. They all started their careers in different decades, come from different cities and have a different style of rapping. What they have in common is that they are African American rappers from a lower class who grew up in poverty and have become successful musicians.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Background Knowledge on AAVE
2.1 Definition, Origin, Speakers of AAVE and Attitudes Towards It
2.2 Overview of the Most Important Features of AAVE
2.3 Hip Hop and AAVE
2.4 The Research Question
3. Materials and Method
3.1 The Artists
3.2 The Song Selection
3.3 The Method
4. Results and Discussion
4.1 Results
4.2 Discussion
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
This thesis investigates the manifestation of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), specifically the usage of the copula "to be," within contemporary Hip Hop music. The study aims to determine how three prominent rappers—Tupac, Jay-Z, and 50 Cent—employ copula deletion in their lyrics and whether their linguistic patterns shifted diachronically throughout their careers. Furthermore, it addresses the broader scholarly debate regarding the validity of Hip Hop as a reliable linguistic corpus for studying AAVE.
- Linguistic analysis of copula deletion in "gangsta rap."
- Diachronic examination of lyrical patterns across different stages of a rapper's career.
- Evaluation of the influence of social factors and the demand for "authenticity" on linguistic choices.
- Critical assessment of Hip Hop as a source for AAVE research.
- Comparative study of three major American rappers from different decades and backgrounds.
Excerpt from the Book
3.3 The Method
In the last section of this part of the thesis, I am going to explain the method I used to conduct the study. First, I will mention which instances of the copula are going to be counted in the following study. Afterwards I will discuss the different calculations on the copula deletion.
One issue for the study of the copula is that there is no agreement among scholars which cases of the copula to count and which ones not to count. Blake summarized the different opinions (cf. Blake 1997), building up her own guide on which cases are to count. Blake’s guide is the one going to be used in the subsequent analysis, as it seems to be the most appropriate one. I am going to summarize the C forms (= “count” forms) of the copula, followed by the DC cases (= “don’t count”).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the focus on AAVE in contemporary music and identifies the copula "to be" as the central linguistic structure for analysis.
2. Background Knowledge on AAVE: This chapter outlines the theoretical definitions, origins, and key phonological and grammatical features of AAVE, while exploring the cultural intersection of Hip Hop and the vernacular.
3. Materials and Method: This chapter introduces the three analyzed artists, details the selection criteria for their albums, and explains the specific linguistic methodology used to count copula deletion.
4. Results and Discussion: This chapter presents the statistical data from the lyrics and discusses the findings in relation to the artists' careers and the potential limitations of music as a linguistic data source.
4. Conclusion: This chapter summarizes the analysis, noting the variations and similarities in copula usage across the artists and reflecting on the reliability of Hip Hop as a data source for AAVE.
Keywords
AAVE, African American Vernacular English, Hip Hop, Copula Deletion, Rap, Linguistic Analysis, Tupac, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Sociolinguistics, Gangsta Rap, Syntax, Labov, Vernacular, Authenticity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The work investigates the use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), specifically the deletion of the copula "to be," in the lyrics of prominent American rappers.
Which artists were selected for this study?
The research analyzes the lyrics of Tupac, Jay-Z, and 50 Cent, focusing on two albums from each artist to track diachronic changes.
What is the core research question?
The thesis asks how the copula is used in rap music and whether the usage of copula deletion differs among these three artists over the course of their careers.
Which methodology is applied to the linguistic analysis?
The study utilizes the Labov Contraction and Labov Deletion formulae, following the guidelines for "count" and "don't count" forms established by Renée Blake.
What is the main argument regarding Hip Hop as a linguistic source?
The author concludes that while Hip Hop is a significant medium for AAVE, it is not always a perfectly reliable source for linguistic study because of the creative and rhythmic constraints of the music genre.
What are the primary characteristics of the researched artists?
All three are African American "gangsta rap" artists from lower-class backgrounds who grew up in poverty and achieved significant commercial success in different decades.
How does the social environment of the artists influence their language?
The research suggests that social changes—such as moving from the "streets" to wealth and status—may influence a rapper's tendency to use or avoid vernacular features like copula deletion.
Why did 50 Cent show a decrease in copula deletion in his later work?
The analysis suggests that this decrease may be linked to his change in social environment and the professional circles he interacts with after achieving fame.
What role does "authenticity" play in the linguistic choices of rappers?
In the Hip Hop culture, there is an expectation to be "real." The author hypothesizes that some artists maintain or increase their use of AAVE as a strategy to remain authentic to their roots.
- Quote paper
- A. Glatz (Author), 2011, African American Vernacular English in Contemporary Music, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/187599
