The Impact of Hip-hop on Language and Slang
Let's explore the extensive impact of Hip Hop has on everyday language & slang.

Ever since the arrival of hip-hop on the music scene, it has influenced more than a few parts of life and society. Hip-hop has had a clear influence in dance, fashion, sports, and several other things. One other major part of life influenced by hip-hop is language.

There can be no doubt that rap and hip-hop have heavily affected our way of speaking English. We've adopted jargon after jargon into our speech, so much that some people have cried out against hip-hop. Their argument is that hip-hop is causing a massive deterioration in our ability to learn and use English properly. The opposing argument is that hip-hop has its own language and won't be the same if it's stripped away. So should hip-hop be restricted to proper English or does it have its own language?

Hip-hop Language

Can you remember the first time you ever tried to follow the lyrics to a random hip-hop song? Chances are you probably struggled with the words and grammar a bit. Hip-hop rap comes with its own jargons and lingo. New words are formed, regular ones are given new meanings, and the normal grammar structures are modified. Much of this lingo is derived from the African American vernacular English, which is logical when you consider that hip-hop was invented in African American neighborhoods.

As hip-hop grew more and more popular, this vernacular English spread wider. Before long, hip-hop had crossed the American border into other countries, even other continents. And with hip-hop came the language. Whenever anyone would point out the obvious grammatical errors in hip-hop, no one cared. Hip-hop had its own language, and it wasn't at the mercy of any English textbooks.

Why Is Hip-hop So Ungrammatical?

Many people have asked me this question, and my response is always the same. For me, there are five major reasons why…

It's art

We tend to forget that rap isn't the only form of art that disobeys conventional rules. I find this funny because even standard poetry does not follow the rules of grammar. I agree that hip-hop takes it a step further, but art hardly ever follows the rules anyway.

It's spoken art

Rap is not just art, it's spoken art. That's a whole other level of disregard for grammar because our spoken English is heavily flawed. For many writers, there's been a shift from using official tones and impeccable English to making content as easy to understand as possible by writing in your speaking voice. Rap started out like that. These young, African American rappers wrote their verses exactly the way they would've said them.

It's the language of their primary audience

It's massive all over the world today, but when hip-hop started, it was only a means of expression. The original audience for hip-hop artists happened to be their own people, African Americans. They made music for an audience fluent in African American vernacular, so why not use it too? Rap isn't ungrammatical only because that's how the rappers talk, but also because that's what their original audience understood.

It's anti-establishment

Rap is a form of art, but don't forget that it started primarily as part of a bigger anti-establishment movement. And correct grammar is the establishment for rap as a literary art form. So when a hip-hop rapper refuses to stick to correct English, it's a way of showing defiance and refusing to bend to the norm.

To avoid legal trouble

If you read about hip-hop history before, you know that the early days were full of violence. And I don't mean the figurative type we hear from most rappers today, I mean real violence. In the early days, many rappers broke the law in several ways, and they would rap about it. Instead of setting themselves up for trouble, they would just use different words to express themselves. Consider this excerpt from Big L's song, Ebonics.

Yo, pay attention

And listen real closely how I break this slang shit down

Check it, my weed smoke is my lye

A ki of coke is a pie

When I’m lifted, I’m high

With new clothes on, I’m fly

Cars is whips and sneakers is kicks

Money is chips, movies is flicks

So instead of saying a kilo of cocaine, they would say a piece of pie. Instead of calling it weed, they would say lye. These are all things that could've gotten them in trouble, but they found their own language to stay away from legal trouble. Pretty smart, if you ask me.

The Hip-hop Effect: Good or Bad?

Some people have dismissed hip-hop and rap as a protest from the downtrodden and have considered it full of nothing except vulgar words. But hear me out, I'd say rap is much like poetry. For many years now, rappers have used the same techniques that poets use to paint a picture or convey an emotion. Rhyme and rhythm, and several figures of speech are all on display in rap verses.

So rap might not stick to the conventional use of English, but there's no doubt that the art form is valid. Such is the validity of rap as an art that Dr. Amber West has added it to the curriculum she teaches at UCLA. She now uses the work of rappers like Eminem, Jay Z, and Kendrick Lamar. For people like Dr. West hip-hop has its own language but remains a true form of expression.

Five Words Hip-hop Has Given Us

Stan

We got this from Eminem's song, Stan. It's become a popular slang word used to describe an obsessed fan. It's one thing to be a fan, but stans take it to a different level.

Kicks

You probably remember this one from Big L's song. Instead of saying a pair of sneakers, a rapper would say a pair of kicks.

Diss or beef

When two people have a problem with each other, they have a war of words. In hip-hop, it's either called a beef or a diss.

Benjamin or big face

The first time I heard this used in a song, it took me a second to get it. Instead of saying one hundred dollars, a rapper would either say 'a Benjamin' or 'a big face'.

Cap

When rappers use the word 'cap', it's important to understand the context. It could mean a bullet, but it might just as well mean a lie. So one could either say "you cap too much" or say "I'ma bust two caps in your knee".

Final Thoughts

One thing's for sure, hip-hop does not play by the rules when it comes to grammar, but I don't think it should be restricted. I don't think it can even be restricted. Critics must learn to appreciate hip-hop as an art form with its own language. And fans must learn to separate it from normal, correct English.

The world, however, is constantly evolving. Perhaps a day will come when hip-hop slang is accepted as correct English. Our old professors might cringe, but that's just life, isn't it?