ABSTRACT
Hip-Hop music in Nigeria is a very popular brand of music which is heard practically in all parts of Nigeria and is both respected and appreciated by Nigerians. Scholars and researchers such as Omoniyi (2009), Akande (2013), Auer (2011) and Adedeji (2000) have worked extensively on Hip-Hop music but only a few researches have been carried out on the use of code alternation in music, let alone in Hip-Hop songs by Nigerian artistes. Therefore, this study examined the trend of code alternation in the songs of the celebrated Nigerian Hip-Hop musician, Alexander Abolore Adegbola, popularly called 9ice.
This study is premised on Myers-Scotton’s Markedness model. Five of 9ice’s songs were analysed in this study. Linguistic items found in the data were analysed while the similarities and peculiarities of each song are explored using excerpts from the selected songs. The data were subjected to theoretical analysis.
There is the dominance of Yoruba in 9ice’s linguistic choices. The reason for the dominance of the Yoruba language as the language of choice in 9ice’s music can be linked to its commercial viability and the vulnerability of the city of Lagos, 9ice’s musical setting, to varying linguistic adaptations. The language has also been appropriated for Afrocentric purposes and as a symbol of Nigerian representation and identity through Hip-Hop, where 9ice has been used as an example to establish this dominance in his appropriation of Yoruba language and culture to represent his musical identity, textually and visually. Related to this is the essence of 9ice’s utilization of Nigerian Pidgin English. The use of Nigerian Pidgin English by 9ice helps him communicate with all his audience from different background and leaves no room for anyone to feel left out. Nigerian Pidgin English is a language that unifies all Nigerians and its use helps facilitate closer rapport between users. Therefore, its use by 9ice creates a form of connection between the artiste and the audience. Hip-Hop’s domestication has also been established through indigenous language use while 9ice has projected these possibilities textually and visually in all the selected songs. 9ice, through the appropriation of Yoruba culture and language as a vehicle, was able to elevate the indigenous language to a world class standard which ‘is also a statement to the world that Nigerian languages have the right and capacity to be used to entertain a world audience’ (Agbo 2009: 56).
Language use in Nigerian Hip-Hop has implications for language planning. When the language alternation strategies have been well studied and documented, they could be used to forestall language endangerment. If the artistes are encouraged to sing in languages that face extinction, these languages could be revived and interest in learning them will be awakened.
Keywords: Hip-Hop; Language Alternation; Code choice; African identity; Lyrics
Word count: 448
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