Language & Communication· 2026Q1
The language of hip-hop: A corpus analysis
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
A 1.6 million-token corpus of 1,600 American rap songs (1979-2019) reveals chronological shifts in slang, profanity, and culturally significant vocabulary, addressing methodological challenges in rap lyric analysis.
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Key points
- Compiled a corpus of 1,600 American rap songs (approx. 1 million tokens) spanning 1979-2019.
- Investigated lexical patterns, including slang, profanity, and culturally salient items.
- Addressed methodological challenges specific to corpus analysis of rap lyrics.
- Identified chronological variation in language use within the corpus.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Academic research on rap lyrics remains underdeveloped despite the cultural significance of hip hop. To fill this gap, this corpus linguistics study investigated lexical patterns in a corpus of American rap lyrics. An approximately one-million-token corpus was compiled from 1,600 songs released between 1979 and 2019, allowing for the analysis of vocabulary and language change over time. Attention was given to methodological issues that affect corpus analysis, including slang, alternative spellings, and items misclassified or omitted by corpus analysis software. The findings reveal chronological variation in slang, profanity, and culturally salient lexical items, while also contributing to a deeper understanding of hip hop and Black culture. The study offers a methodological foundation for future corpus-based research on rap lyrics.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Language & Communication, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Linguistics and Language
Linguistics and LanguageSocial Sciences