Abstracts Category : Other

Evidence of Rules in Black Vernacular in Hip Hop and Rap Music

by Selenne Duarte

African American Vernacular English, also known as Black Vernacular English is unfortunately far from being perceived as a respectable and sophisticated language in the United States. Many Americans disregard the language and perceive it as being riddled with mistakes and botched sentences even though Black Vernacular English (BVE) is widely used by a variety of groups in the United States, one of which is Hip Hop and Rap artists. By analyzing the language used in the music and personal life of the three previous Grammy award winning Rap artists, Chance the Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem I will examine how BVE plays an intricate role in successfully communicating complex ideas as well as how the artists use BVE in interviews, media, and personal modes of communication. I will also weave in the work of many respected scholars that have focused on the topic of Hip Hop and BVE for the purpose of building on to common ideas and discourse. Currently, BVE is primarily a respected language in the Hip Hop and Rap industry, but by showing how BVE is a necessary component of the genre, hopefully more people will begin to understand how both Hip Hop/Rap music and BVE are complex systems that should be respected and understood by a wider audience.Advisors/Committee Members: Spratt, Danielle L (advisor), Haake, Katharine K (committee member).