NAME: STRUGARU ȘTEFAN-IONUȚ

GROUP: ENGLISH-SPANISH

THESIS ADVISOR: CONF. DR. CUŢITARU LAURA CARMEN

Thesis topic: The evolution of the English Language in rap music.

A) Topic chosen and motivation:

The reason I chose this topic is because I am very passionate about music and I
think I could combine the useful with the pleasant. Listening to a lot of music daily, from old
artists such as Tupac Shakur (2Pac), The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie), Michael Jackson, and
Nirvana to contemporary artists such as Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, The
Weeknd, Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, etc. I believe that I can demonstrate how the English
language has developed through music.

For the most part, RAP or Hip-Hop artists often use puns to express their thoughts,
often with two or more meanings, depending on the circumstance. This fascinated me a lot
because it is very interesting how an artist can touch two points with just a simple metaphor
or phrase. For example, Kendrick Lamar's lyrics in his song "HUMBLE." (2017) - "My left
stroke just went viral," in which he uses metaphors to illustrate his impact on popular culture.
Even if it is a particular topic, a topic I will write myself, I think that many young people
today listen to a lot of music, especially from the urban area, which makes it a topical issue.

Also, I find this topic very interesting because underground music has brought a
variety of slang and local expressions into the vocabulary, reflecting the different cultures and
communities the artists come from. For example, the word "lit" (an abbreviation of the word
"lit", which means something very interesting or excellent) was popularized by hip-hop
artists and became part of the everyday language of young people.

B) Primary text and notes on the primary text

Primary source:

Music and language on JSTOR. (n.d.). www.jstor.org. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org/stable/2156005
- In addition to the linguistic structure that literature tends to have, it also tends to
have libations at the level of musical structures, this being given by the
presence of a certain time of language in the music (a more "neighborhood"
language in hip-hop music, and a more family friendly language in
pop/commercial music). At the same time, the presence of fiction in the lyrics is
noticeable. (p. 26)
- Studies in 'music as language' research contrast the real perspective of
'language in music'. The main focus of this field is the study of language and
music in spoken art, song texts and musical performance. The focus is on
'language in music', which attempts to notice how a song comes to life,
technical discourses, musical aesthetics, whereas 'music in language'
emphasizes more the elements of prosody, and the elements of paralanguage.
These, try to show the differences between the social and communicative roles
of spoken language and music.
- Research into the connections between different musical forms, genres and
performance styles, and social characteristics (such as social class, economic,
ethnic, etc.) is carried out using ethnomusicological methods. The research
establishes that there are interconnected relationships between social linguistics
and linguistic pragmatics, as well as specific social relations. Often, there is a
certain repetition that occurs in different artistic methods, such as dance and the
way song lyrics are made. This means that by suppressing verbal referentiality,
musically organised communication reveals the formal and pragmatic ordering
of communicative messages, codes and contexts. A musical language that
intensifies poetic texts is created through the use of formal repetition and
formal authenticity in music. The poetics of the Prague School, seen especially
through the prism of spoken ethnography, impacts on everything, including
discourse structures and social functions. (p. 27)
- In addition, we can talk about different views on the nature and accessibility of
musical meaning in linguistic and musical literature. Attention is drawn to the
theoretical differences between referentialist and absolutist theories of musical
meaning. Absolutist perspectives emphasize the non-referential nature of
music, finding meaning in the way each listener understands patterns of musical
 forms in his or her mind. These views are rooted in Western musical aesthetics
and correspond to cognitivist models of formal language. Referentialist ideas
suggest the existence of musical semantics, arguing that music represents
extramusical concepts, objects, or effects. It is noted that the expressionist
position, which emphasizes the transmission of music in the context of human
emotions as opposed to the intellectual communicative potential of language,
may or may not also be supported by absolutists and referentialists. Both
cognitive and social theories of music-language interaction often enhance the
difference between linguistically encoded thought and musically encoded
feeling. (p. 28)
- Researchers are studying different ways in which music can be shared,
sometimes lighter, sometimes more complex, such as the Swiss yodel, Inuit
vocal games and Tibetan and Mongolian supratonal biphonic singing. In
addition, the study investigates the links between text and melody in creative
forms, suggesting similarities between the poetic arrangement of song words
and musical structure. The lyrical quality of the lyrics, a very good voice, the
acoustics of the singing, the correct and clear pronunciation of the words are
important areas in musical research. Over the years research has been done on
complex musical styles, such as the Swiss yodel, of the supratonal singing style,
with Tibetan and Mongolian 'vocal games'. At the same time, the creative links
between musical structure and song lyrics are examined. (p. 31)

Secondary sources:

a) Allan, K. (2016c). Contextual determinants on the meaning of the N-word.

SpringerPlus, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40064-016-2813-1

- Use of the word nigger is very often castigated as slurring the referent, but this
ignores the context of use.
- For many people the word itself is a slur no matter what the context, and such
people argue for its eradication from the English language. Eradicationists
confuse the form of the word with its frequent use as a slur that discredits,
slights, smears, stains, and besmirches people of black African descent
- As with many slurs, in-group usage by people who might themselves have been
slurred with the term by out-groupers, nigger is used among African Americans
to express camaraderie.
- “Use of the word nigger is very often castigated as slurring the referent, but this
ignores the context of use. For many people, the word itself is a slur no matter
what the context and such people argue for its eradication from the English
language. Eradicationists confuse the form of the word with its frequent use as
a slur that discredits, slights, smears, stains, and besmirches people of black
African descent. In this paper, I discuss several occurrences of the N-word in
Quentin Tarantino’s film ‘Pulp Fiction’. At least one is a slur. As with many
slurs, in-group usage by people who might themselves have been slurred with
the term by out-groupers, nigger is used among African Americans to express
camaraderie.” (Allan, 2016)

b) Peckerwood. (2020, 03 30). Retrieved from ADL-Fighting hate for good:

https://www.adl.org/education/references/hate-symbols/peckerwood

- The study looks at how the word "peckerwood" has changed since the early
1800s.
- In the 1800s, "woodpecker" was referred to as "Peckerwood" by African
Americans as a colloquial term. It was a racist insult directed against white
people during the beginning of the 20th century.
- “The word "peckerwood" originated as an African American slang term for
"woodpecker" in the 1800s, but by the early 1900s began to be applied as a
racial epithet against White people, with a meaning similar to the term
"white trash."
 - The word "peckerwood," which was once used to refer to all White convicts
in jails in Texas, California, and maybe other locations, changed to
particularly refer to members of racist prison gangs and their allies in the
latter half of the 20th century. This relationship is more widespread in the
Western and Southern areas, but less common in the Midwest and
Northeast. It is greatest in California and Texas. As the phrase spread from
jails to the streets in California, "peckerwood gangs", a hybrid of street,
prison, and racist skinhead gangs were formed.

- “In the second half of the 20th century, in prison environments in Texas,
California, and possibly elsewhere, the word peckerwood, originally used to
refer to White prisoners generally, began to develop a more specific
association with members of racist prison gangs and cliques, as well as their
associates and hangers-on. This association is strongest in California and
Texas, and fairly strong across the West and South in general, but less common
in the Midwest and Northeast. In California, the term spread from the prison to
the streets in the form of so-called peckerwood gangs, white gangs that mix
elements of street gang, prison gang, and racist skinhead gang.”

c) Johnson, M. L. (2011b). Historical analysis: The evolution of Commercial rap

music. Retrieved from https://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu
%3A181781

- Eisenhardt (1989) placed a strong focus on selecting theoretically relevant

instances that fit conceptual categories when selecting cases for case studies
that create theoretical insights. The real lyrics of famous rap artists from various
times were incorporated into primary sources, offering a variety of viewpoints.
Because of the flexibility this technique offered in data collecting, it was
possible to explore patterns that emerged, most notably the influence of
socioeconomic conditions on criminal/gangsta designs in rap music. (4,5)
- A functional understanding of the lyrics of early hip-hop artists and the
socioeconomic situations impacting inner-city African-American people is vital
to understanding the origins of socially conscious artistry in Hip Hop and the
formation of gangsta rap. Additionally, a thorough examination of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996 indicates that it had an important impact on
commercial rap music. (5)
- Marketing strategies supporting the gangsta rap genre were adopted by the
industry as a result of the combination of radio stations and record companies,
as well as the realization that white suburban men were the main fans of rap
music. This change limited the mainstream social criticism that had been an
ongoing characteristic of rap music from its beginning and expanded the
gangster image. (5)

d) PRICE, S. (2011, 03 30). Teaching Tolerance. Retrieved from Straight Talk

About the N-Word: https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/fall-2011/straight-talk-
about-the-nword

- The term "nigger" an evolved into the denigrating term "nigger", which has
meanings of deliberate injury. Its terrible legacy, which is inextricably linked to
acts of violence against black people and the casting of denigrating shadows on
their bodies, can never be erased by attempts to reclaim it. Yet the damaging
effects of its past persist. The term is frequently used in rap and hip-hop songs,
and black people consider it an insult if used by a white person.
- - Some white communities say they are familiar with the exposure of the n-
word in hip-hop music. This expression is used by whites who frequently listen
to hip-hop in a variety of situations. The emotional reactions resulting from the
confusion underscore the importance of understanding the historical context of
the n-word in American identity, language, and history.

e) Hulban, H. (2001). Syntheses in English Lexicology and Semantics

 - Slang encompasses a wide range of terminology and has a diverse nature.
"Language peculiar to a particular group as (a) a special and often secret
vocabulary used by a class (as thieves, beggars) and usually felt to be vulgar
and inferior: argot; and (b) the jargon used by or associated with a particular
trade, profession, or field of activity," states Webster's Third New International
Dictionary (p. 249).
- The concept of register is linked to the words' expressive power. When we talk
about register, we're talking about a collection of tones with comparable
qualities that result from a certain word choice that has the same overall impact.
As an illustration, a certain word arrangement might convey the idea of literary
style, colloquial language, bombast, argot, slang, etc. in different proportions. A
work of fiction or speech that shifts in register indicates the use of specific
stylistic effects (pp. 245-246).
- The colloquial register is without a doubt the most widely used in language. It
is frequently used as the starting point for the hypothetical scale on which
various language styles are arranged. As the standard level of voice
communication, its status is determined by its unique placement within the
other registers. Nobody can pinpoint a specific issue with it, even though some
individuals feel it lacks sufficient reputation. (p. 246)

Thesis statement:

Firstly, I want the direction of my BA thesis to be towards the influence that rap
and hip-hop music have had and still have on the English language. Also, I want it to address
themes that are often addressed in urban culture, such as the racial issues faced by black
people and how black people, in turn, attack white people, through songs, diss tracks, etc.

On the language influence side, I will address topics such as jargon, slang (which is
very prominent in hip-hop culture), and clichés in urban songwriting.

Also, on the practical side, I will use as examples songs such as Dr. Dre ft.
Eminem, Skylar Grey's I Need a Doctor", Kanye West'sNew Slaves", Beastie Boys-"No "No
Sleep Till Brooklyn", etc.