This document is a paper analyzing the use of language and messaging in lyrics from Outkast's album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. It examines two songs, "Unhappy" and "War," identifying instances of African American Language features and discussing how the lyrics convey sociopolitical messages using culturally relatable language. The paper also provides background on Outkast and context for the quote Andre 3000 wore on his jumpsuit, which prompted analysis of whether and how the group continues promoting cultural uplift and positive reinforcement through their music.

1. Willie Moultrie
RCAH 390 Jackson
Major Paper 2
“Power of language in Hip-Hop: Did you get the message?”
“Across cultures, darker people suffer most. Why?
http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2014/08/we-collected-every-slogan-from-andre-3000s-
jumpsuit-on-outkasts-reunion-tour/” (We Collected Every Slogan from Andre 3000’s
Jumpsuit on Outkast’s Reunion Tour/ Coachella 2014, Pigeons.)
This intriguing quote was worn upon the jumpsuit of music artist Andre 3000 of
the famous duo of Oukast during the Coachella reunion performance of August 2014.
During the reunion tour Andre wore a different quoted jumpsuit for each performance
around the world, but this one stuck out in it’s relative truth. What was the motive behind
this move? What was he trying to tell the audience with a move like this? Is he imposing
the same values and messages of their music like they have did in the past? Many
questions could be asked from this event. Is this seen as strange, or a promotion of a
scaled agenda among the audience? Hip-hop has made a significant imprint on the
development and progression of the many industries that it may inhibit, but has also left a
negatively skewed mark on the perception and state of the Black culture. Hip-hop started
as a social reaction of art that was used to express different creative measures and

2. reactions to oppressive powers, but has reached a point of capitalistic strategies and
marketing negative images to the youth, on a larger scale. Today, unfortunately there are
few artists within the genre who have personal interests in maintaining ideologies of
uplifting the people, and keeping them socially conscious and intellectually attune.
Groups such as Outkast have been nothing but impactful and moving with their unique
voice upon the genre, constantly challenging themselves to not be placed within one
genre or style of music with their positive insight and response behind their music. In this
paper I will be examining the music lyrics of a few songs from the album
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below by Outkast to draw out significant features of Black
Language and semantics, and also addressing any ideas of cultural uplift/positive
reinforcement being expressed when using Black language within the context. I will also
point out different types of syntax being used in the lyrics to signify how power is being
used in language of Hip-Hop to help gain a positive understanding and relationship
between the music, the language, and the culture. This issue of language coincides with
the educational concern of language within the black community (Kirkland, Jackson) and
how power structure of language in American society reflects the socialistic values upon
white English versus Black vernacular. “How can language education best serve our
children?”-(Delpit, 133) Many scholars who deal with language issues of African
American vernacular such as Geneva Smitherman have studied within this field to defend
the framework and authenticity of the ideology of linguistic behavior known as Black
Talk, in which this paper will join the spectrum of this intellectual conversation by
touching on similar issues within the youth but in a different culture; from the educational
culture of language to the musical message and language in the Hip-Hop world.

3. Outkast, (Started as Dungeon Family, DF) is Southern based Hip-Hop duo that
started their impact on the industry through the 90’s. Their funk type style of recording
music has made them major artists still today, in which they captivate their audiences
with both body moving and controversial lyrics that can be heard as a intellectual
pathway into Black conscious on the state of society. The music reflects their personal
trials and tribulations as to being black inside and outside of the music business. I feel
that their lyrics are a legitimate template in viewing authentic Black language as a
positive counteraction within an industry that markets and supports the destructive
attributes to the Black family tree and culture.
Dungeon Family Makin’ Hits!
[Big Boi]
“I never thought that alcohol could ease the notion of the sadness
Now what used to be a happy home done turned into some bad shit!
Graphic language, mild violence and the silence of the fams!
No members to remember, but I know just who I am
I've grown into a man and like my nigga said we executed the game plan
`Cause we got that hot sauce!!!!” – “Unhappy” by Outkast, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
[Hook:] Might as well have fun `cause your happiness is done and your goose is cooked! [4x]]
Fans of Outkast, in which the track “Unhappy” makes an interesting imprint on
the known state of Hip-Hop, typically know these lyrics. The grooved 70’s like
instrumentals mixed with drums, with co-aligned harmonizing in the background, and
covered by the real life scenario type lyrics delivered by Big Boi makes this a song that is
difficult to forget in a good way. But to get to the AAL features, the use of done for

4. completed action is being used (Smitherman) in a way that it encompasses how the
feeling of going through tough times in a way that it speaks directly to the audience and
their experiences in similar situations. The use of done is being used to relate to a specific
audience of a sympathetic nature and the ones who understand the context of the
language syntax. “What done used to be a happy home”—it is signifying the language
used in context, Big Boi is relating his experiences growing up in a low income situation
that comes with trials and family related issues such as domestic issues, and drug and
alcohol issues within the family. This is a powerful example of how music and language
work to create relatable grounds of cultural and linguistic understanding that can still be
on the positive spectrum of representation. The use of negation and signification at the
end toward the hook shows another instance of AAL features using Black language in a
way that contextualizes cultural semantics. Cause’ we got that hot sauce identifies
signification in response to the corresponding statement of making the right adjustments
to becoming successful.
“Wake Up.”
[Big Boi]
“As I, struggle to keep my balance and composure
I'm 'posed ta, propose a toast to players on every coast-a
The lyrical roller coaster,mind-bender
'Stead of watchin these sucker MC's
I'm seein just how they lyin to the general population
Don't be patient, get up and stand up for your life
Don't you agree or understand we lost some rights at 1-1-9?
Come dumb, come young,come blind unwind confined
to the situation, we facin, cause in time, tick tick boom”
“When will we all, awake up out this dream
Come here and smell the Folgers, the soldiers are human beings
Man actin as if he was the supreme bein
Clockin the souls of men out like he was G-O-D and

5. W-A-Rrah, there'll be no tomorrow but sorrow
and horror will follow the hollow hearts battle for dollars
Politicians, modern day magicians
Physicians of death,more health care for poorhealth
Who makin us ill, they makin us kill
That's makin me spill my guts (chill Big, lay in the cut)
For what? I refuse to sit in the backseat and get handled
Like I do nuttin all day but sit around watch the Cartoon Channel
I rap about,the Presidential election and the scandal
that followed, and we all watched the nation, as it swallowed
and chalked it up, basically America you got FUCKED
The media shucked and jived now we stuck - damn!”—“War” by Outkast, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
These controversial lyrics are more or less remembered for their bold intentions
on influencing the audience. I grew up listening to most of their music, but they never
touched on subject matter in a way like this before. A song that encompasses how the
mass feels about war and it’s propaganda, in a language that best relates to the people
being oppressed by a system that sets a standard in which this language is not accepted as
an equal. “Im just seein’ how they lying to the general population, don’t be patient, get up
and stand up for your life!” are powerful words with a motive of intellectual stimulation
to be received by the audience; They are encouraging the audience to take a step back and
think about these serious political and social issues though using black semantics to
generate a more concrete relationship in between the artist and the listeners. These are the
words that are legitimate to have the same powerful movement of the people that of
Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, and many other Black activists and leaders. “ That’s makin’
me spill my guts (chill big lay in the cut)” is significant when deciphering the lyrics from
a socio-linguistic perspective. Big Boi is talking in Black language in a way that he is
preaching his testimonial responses (Jeremiah style of speech) on how society has its
errors when accompanying black people and lower class people. He goes on by saying

6. “for what? I refuse to sit in the back seat and get handled, like I do nuttin’ all day but sit
around and watch the cartoon channel” is another powerful example of how his lyrics are
citing significant Black events (Rosa Parks, civil rights movement) and how he is
ridiculing these racist stereotypes of what a black man is and what he does with his life.
This type of complex analytic response to race and policy issues is evident through Black
culture, and the outrage comes through his choice of lyrics to his insight as to how
political propaganda keeps the masses blind to these real issues on class, race, and war. In
terms of AAL features there is many instances of zero copula (Smitherman) “I’m just
seein’ how they lyin’ to the population” and pronominal apposition “Man actin’ if he was
the supreme bein”. Also there is an instance of contextual signals for tense (Smitherman)
“I’m ‘posed ta, propose a toast to players on every coast-a”. “The media shucked and
jived, now we stuck, damn!” is showing a counter-conversation type of opinion in Black
language on how the media plays a part in this mass degradation of the Black culture.
The media has been endorsed application to show the mass youth images of black
stereotyping (crime, sex, gender, power, etc.), but why is that the media covered poorly
other events such as the presidential election of 2000? He could be implying that power is
once again being misused, that the will of the people has been disrespected on account
that the fundamental right of the people to have their votes counted has been put into
question. “The media shuking and jiving and now we stuck—damn!” is saying that the
media poorly displayed how the government didn’t hold value respecting our given rights
as citizens to vote, coincide a political scandal, and when it was bold as day in our face,
they said “what are you gonna do, nigga?” This type of political controversy is voiced to
the mass listeners; it sparks to develop as a collective intellectual conversation through

7. the authenticity of the raw language through common knowledge, and linguistic
understanding, both the people and artist can share. Black language intuitively holds
dynamics of complex dialect and understanding through simple word play, in the context
of Hip-Hop it functions with ambiguity to get people really focusing on and thinking
about what is being said other than a catchy beat, while non-speakers would blow past or
be puzzled by what is being said. This type of music is focusing on connecting to the
youth listeners on cultural value, self- respect, language, and even history. This is a part
of our culture, which it empowers the youth’s esteem to reach higher capabilities and
situations in which they may be.
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was released in 2002 and had critical acclaim on a
mainstream level, being the second Hip-Hop album to win a Grammy Award for Album
of the year. The lyrics of the album have been influential to the listeners, and also sending
a more positive reinforcement of Black language on the language issues regarding the
black youth. These lyrics display AAL features and syntax that relate to the testing of my
hypothesis, in which I examined the music lyrics and identify patterns of intellectual
signification and positive reinforcement on identity and cultural issues. The authenticity
of Black language met in terms of identifying the features that relate to Black syntax
while deciphering some of the directions of the message presented by the artists. In terms
of academic significance, my intention was to identify how linguistic theory and issues
are being critiqued on an intellectual level, through a language system in which
knowledge and cultural values are being shared (Kirkland, Jackson, 122-123).

8. Language and power are cast in the same fields of understanding social relation—
is the overall direction in which I would have hoped to present this paper. For a long
time, I have been a supporter of the Hip-Hop community, and until participating in
studies such as these I realize how much complex is the nature of language upon culture,
and how social behaviors could reflect reactions to social issues, and looking at the
positive aspects of how language is used in Hip-Hop.

9. Works Cited
Kirkland, David E., and Austin D. Jackson. "Beyond the Silence: Instructional Approaches and
Student's Attitudes." (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
<https://angel.msu.edu/section/default.asp?id=FS14-RCAH-390-003-97DEXH-EL-06-
257>.
Perry, Theresa, and Lisa D. Delpit. The Real Ebonics Debate: Power, Language, and the
Education of African-American Children. Boston: Beacon, 1998. Print.
Smitherman, Geneva. Talkin That Talk: Language, Culture, and Education in African America.
New York: Routledge, 2000. Print.
""Unhappy" Lyrics." OUTKAST LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/outkast/unhappy.html>.
""War" Lyrics." OUTKAST LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/outkast/war.html>.
"We Collected Every Slogan From André 3000's Jumpsuit on Outkast's Reunion
Tour." Pigeons Planes RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.
<http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2014/08/we-collected-every-slogan-from-andre-3000s-
jumpsuit-on-outkasts-reunion-tour/>.