The Stylistic Deviation Of African American Vernacular English In Rap Song Lyrics And The Cause Analysis Of The Deviation

Rap song was first born in slum of Black community in America. Developed for more than30years, Rap song has grown up to be one of the most popular music forms in the world. The author tries to study the deviation of AAVE in the special discourse of Rap song lyrics, which is a significant attempt.Based on the80songs picked up randomly from the recent Rap songs, in which40are Rap songs and the other40are other kinds of music of little Black Cultural background, this paper focused on analyzing the stylistic deviation of African American Vernacular English in Rap song lyric. Given a comprehensive study of the relationship between language and culture, this paper compares two groups of songs, by applying qualitative and quantitative research methods, in attempts to accomplish the following three tasks:(i) to explore the stylistic deviation of African American Vernacular English in Rap song lyrics at phonetic, morphological, syntactic and discoursal levels;(ii) to explain the reason of the deviation from linguistic and social aspects;(iii) to reveal the social effects the Rap songs have made on American society and the pragmatic function of the deviation in the songs.The analysis concludes that deviation of AAVE happens on every level of the lyrical discourse including phonetic level, syntactic level, grammar level, and discourse level. The primary fact of the deviation of AAVE is the racial discrimination in America. The Blacks have suffered from the discrimination and oppression for a very long time, which aroused the rebellious psychology of them. They want to express their desire to against the dominant culture of the Whites in a way of speaking a different language from their master. They were not satisfied with the low social status of the black nation, therefore, they highlighted the difference between the mainstream to rebel the dominant culture, build up the confidence of the nation, improve the ethnocentrism, and strengthen the national cohesion. After the analysis of the data get in the questionnaire, it is proved that Rap songs are of great influence and appealingness to the young people both on and off the campus. The ideas expressed in the Rap song lyrics may influence in some extent on the shaping of the personalities of young people. Rap song, as a media of communication, can radiate the influence of black culture to the whole American society. According to the research, Rap songs can work in relief racial discrimination and social pressure. In addition, this paper explores also the pragmatic function of the deviation in Rap songs, which can fulfill the aesthetic of the music, lead the fashion and convey the connotative meaning.