If you don’t know, now you know - A study of the educational qualities of hip-hop lyrics

Abstract

Aim(s): To explore the qualities of hip-hop as an educational medium based on the close reading and in-depth analysis of its lyrics, using the lyrics to Nas’ N.Y. State of mind to discuss and exemplify the general traits of language structure as well as historical and cultural content. Method(s): Exploring the qualities of hip-hop lyrics as an educational medium based on the decoding and in-depth analysis of the lyrics to N.Y. State of mind. The analysis is carried out within the conceptual framework of hip-hop discourse. Material: Lyrics to Nas’s N.Y. State of mind. Main results: The genuinely authentic language, poetic structure and historical/cultural representation in Hip-hop’s lyrics resemble the explicit uncensored version of a school textbook. With critical thinking and the right interpretation it can teach us the history and culture of past and present times, from the perspective of its contemporaries, esthetically pleasing our minds with its masterful use of the many forms and shapes of language.