Language And Ethno Identity In Nigerian Hip Hop

Abstract   This work is a linguistic study of Nigerian musical artistes, especially of the Hip Hop genre. The study shows that the artistes skillfully use language alternation strategies to enhance the aesthetic and rhetorical qualities of their music. It is revealed in the study that the language alternation patterns involve major Nigerian languages and English, and, they interact with elements of the lyrical structure, namely, the lines, rhymes and stanzas to enhance the musical qualities of the artistes‟ works. Language alternations have other connotations as they also bear the quali…