Rap and hip-hop have developed their own linguistic conventions over time. The presentation examines whether rap can be considered its own branch of American language. Key characteristics of rap lingo include distinctive grammar, regional variations in pronunciation and accents, and invented or redefined words. Rappers have also published their own dictionaries and glossaries to document elements of rap language. The presentation provides examples of regional accents and invented words, and examines Jay-Z's book which translates and analyzes lyrics.

1. Paper 3 PresentationAndrea Orlando

2. Research QuestionIs rap and hip-hop its own branch of American language or lingo?

3. What is lingo?Lingo is defined as, “the language and speech, especially the jargon, slang, or argot, of a particular field, group, or individual language; language or speech, especially if strange or foreign.”

4. Characteristics of lingo (language)GrammarRegional variationPronunciationPublished dictionaries/glossaries

5. Grammar“HHNL (Hip Hop Nation Language) is a language with its own grammar, lexicon, and phonology as well as unique communicative style and discursive modes” (Finegan and Rickford, 394).

6. Regional Variation/ Pronunciation AccentsExamples: Philly, Jersey, New York, Boston, Southern, Chicago, and many more.Master P’s signature phrase, “YaHeeeaaard may?” (You heard me?”Bay Area rappers: ‘man’ vs. ‘mane’Southern/Midwest rappers: ‘there’ vs ‘thurrr’Example: Right Thurrby Chingy

7. Dictionaries/Glossaries“…it is important to note that hip hop artists, as street linguists and lexicographers, have published several dictionaries of their own…” (Finegan and Rickford, 397).Notable jazz and bebop artists: Cab Calloway, Babs Gonzales and Dan Burley. Goodie Mob, Jay-Z and E-40

8. Word Inventiveness“They are constantly inventing, (dis)inventing, redefining and reconstructing language to meet their needs and goals, and thus constantly engaged in the discursive (dis)invention of identity and the (dis)invention of language” (Richardson, 21).Examples: badonkadonk, bling-bling, and foshizzle

9. Word Inventiveness con’t“New spellings often accompany a change in a word meaning and reflect AAE and Hip Hop pronunciation as well as knowledge of subversion of GAE spelling rules and alphabet symbol ideology” (Lanehart, 202).Example: ‘fat’ vs. ‘phat’

10. Decoded by Jay-ZHell Yeah (Pimp the System)/Dead Prez“…and they all know the skinny…”Translation: “Becky is considered a classic white-girl name among black folks (and is also slang for a sexual act that is associated with white girls, for some reason). And no matter how much her parents want her to stay sheltered, popular music, of all things, teachers her about how the rest of the country lives” (Jay-Z, 187).

11. Decodedcon’tRegrets“…within this infrared dot, bout to hot him and hit rock bottom…”“I know once I shoot him, that’s it for me. Not only will I be a drug dealer, but also a murderer. It’s rock bottom. I’m in a situation where I’m literally shaking with fear and my gun is aimed right at his forehead” (Jay-Z, 267).

12. Rap = Mystery “You can enjoy a song that knocks in the club or has witty punch lines the first time you hear it. But great rap retains mystery. It leaves shit rattling around in your head that won’t make sense till the fifth or sixth time through. It challenges you” (Jay-Z, 54).

13. HistoryRap: late 1970s – early 1980sSlave era‘Juba this Juba that, Juba kill a yella’ cat’Translation: Giblet this [a little of this] and/Giblet that [a little of that.] Because they couldn’t say mixed up food might kill the white folks. They was afraid to say that because white folks’d kill them (Richardson, 8).

14. SourcesLanguage in the USA: Themes for the Twenty-first Century. By Edward Finegan and John R. RickfordDecoded by Jay-ZSociocultural and Historical Contexts of African Amerian English by Sonja L. LanehartBlack/Folk/Discoursez: Outkast and ‘The Whole World’ by Elaine B. Richardson