A Pragmatic Analysis Of Slang And Catchy Phrases Used In Some Selected Nigerian Hip-hop Songs.

Slangy expressions and catchy phrases are deliberately used in hip-hop songs in order to reduce the degree of vulgarity in the content of the song so as not to disrupt society moral norms, and to increase the rate of acceptability of such song amidst listeners, to avoid direct stating of the name of the referent (s) in a satirical song for instance, and also for singers to create a landmark worth discussing even while the song is no longer in vogue.

Aside all these, slang forms and catchy phrases give linguistic aesthetics to song and most importantly, they enable singers to pass across a whole lot of messages, even while they utter just few of these messages. This implies that there are hidden messages in slang forms and catchy phrases used in hip-hop songs, and for these hidden messages to be known to listeners, a particular level of language analysis has to be put in place. This level is found to be pragmatics. It is therefore to this end that this study sets out to undertake a pragmatic analysis of slang and catchy phrases used in some selected Nigerian hip-hop songs.

The objective of this study is to identify the real meanings of slang forms and catchy phrases that are used in Nigerian hip-hop songs, with reference to the overall meanings of these songs themselves. This identification will in turn help us to state the reasons why they (these slang forms and catchy phrases) are used in the songs and their contributions to the singers’ intended meanings of these songs. Haven achieved this objective, we conclude that, for real meanings of hip-hop songs to be known to all and sundry, a pragmatic analysis is necessary.

 

Title page

Certification

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Abstract

Table of contents

CHAPTER ONE

1.1      General Introduction

1.2      Purpose of the Research

1.3      Justification of the Study

1.4      Research question

1.5      Research Hypothesis

1.6      Scope of the Study

1.7      Methodology of Research

CHAPTER TWO:

2.0      LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1.     Pragmatic

2.1.1.0 Goals of Pragmatics and its Theories

2.1.1.1 Goals of Pragmatics Theories

2.1.2.0 Theories of Pragmatics

2.1.2.1 A.J.L. Austin’s Theory

2.1.2.2 John .R Searle’s Theory

2.1.2.3 Kent Bach and Robert Harnish’s Theory

2.1.3.0 Elements of Pragmatic

2.1.3.1 Intention

2.1.3.2 Presupposition

2.1.3.3 Inference

2.1.3.4 Reference

2.1.3.5 Implicature

2.1.3.6 Speech Act

2.1.3.7 Context

2.2      Aspects of meaning in pragmatics

2.2.1   Meaning

2.2.2   Denotation and connotation

2.2.3   Encoding and decoding

2.3      Slang

2.3.1   Kinds of slang

2.3.2   Usages of slang

2.4      Hip-hop

2.4.1   Definition and evolution of hip-hop

2.4.2   Old school hip-hop

2.4.3   Golden era of hip-hop

2.4.4   Hip-hop in Nigeria

CHAPTER THREE: 

3.0     DATA ANALYSIS

3.1     Song A: - ‘Maryjane’ by vector da viper

3.1.1  Short  summary 

3.1.2  Identified slangy forms

2.1.3  Analysis of identified slangy forms

3.2     Song B:-‘Petepete’  (mud) by 9ice

3.2.1  Short summary

3.2.2  Identified catchy phrases

3.2.3  Analysis of identified catchy phrases

3.3     Song C:-‘Otiyanyan’ by Slimjoe

3.3.1  Short summary

3.3.2  Identified slangy forms/Catchy phrases

3.3.3  Analysis of identified slangy forms/catchy phrases

3.4.    Song D:-‘Enter d place’ by 2face Idibia

3.4.1   Short summary

3.4.2   Identified slangy forms

3.4.3   Analysis of identified slangy forms

CHAPTER FOUR: 

4.0     SUMMARY, FINDINGS &CONCLUSION

4.1     Introduction

4.2     Summary

4.3     Findings

4.4     Conclusions

          Bibliography

          Appendix .