Chai! Make una gather quick, I get beta gist wey go make you think twice about how you dey see Naija hip hop. One literary researcher, Adefunke Eruobodo, don drop bombshell wey fit shock many people!
She don talk say all this talk wey dey fly around say Naija hip hop na just noise, unserious, and dey lack brain no be true! Omo, she don seriously analyze Asake‘s song ‘Joha’ and e clear say this music no be mere vibration; na calculated movement wey dey bring gists! According to her research wey she drop during media wahala for Uyo, the lyrics na serious matter, no be just noise wey we dey dance to.
Eruobodo talk say for her study titled Hip Hop Literacy: A Critical Analysis of Code Switching in Asake’s Musical Video “Joha”, she discover say every line wey Asake drop no be by accident. Na strategic language switch be this! This research dey shake table wey don dey stand for long. She even talk say if we check well, fit be say Naija youths dey more linguistically savvy than the people wey dey judge dem!
She go on dey explain say ‘Joha’ dey use six languages for just under three minutes: Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin English, Standard English, French, Spanish, and Igbo! Na wetin! This no be show off but proper control of language. Each language dey serve its own purpose for communication: English dey attract international audience, indigenous languages show ownership, while Pidgin dey break class barriers make everybody fit understand.
Eruobodo don paint clear picture say Asake dey use each language for beta reasons. Na so dem fine-tune wey the song fit reach different people, but no be equally. Na the imbalance dey make sense. Code-switching dey help to hide meaning, as she call am, and dem dey use am to flex power. Omo, na serious matter! E no go dey too much for Naija mata wey none dey like shift from standard English, but Asake dey use am well to control wetin we go fit understand!
The researcher talk say this selective understanding na form of resistance. E allow artists to talk their mind without exposing dem too much. Na why Nigerian hip hop dey sharp with language; no be careless! If we dey define literacy as di ability to communicate of beta level to audience wey dey listen, den wahala no dey for Naija hip hop artists. Dem dey literate, no doubt!
Bottom line be say if you still dey see Naija hip hop as mere noise, make you think again o! Dis research don show say we dey dance to beta lyrics and our artists dey speak wisdom in ways wey fit challenge the stereotypes wey dey surround dem. Naija hip hop na intellectual realm wey fit carry weight. So next time you dey jam, just remember say you dey groove to brain!
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