Benoit's article on hip hop slang and mass media

August 14, 2000 9:23 AM

Benoit's article on hip hop slang and mass media poses some interesting questions, albeit briefly. There's certainly no reason the two can't coexist...
posted by NickBarat (3 comments total)

I don't know about regular folks, but I've always seen hip hop performers the same way I've seen actors ... they're playing a role. That's why they all have stage names, for instance. How many people know who James Todd is? But say "LLCoolJ" and you know. So I think that on stage, a LOT (but not all) of it is an act.
posted by BoyCaught at 10:02 AM on August 14, 2000

Fa' Reals!
I agree, using slang is fine when at home or hanging with your friends, but certainly wouldn't come to my boss talking like I grew up in Bed-Sty.
A lot a Hip-Hop culture (like most pop culture) is disposible anyway, that is-what slang, clothes and performers are popular this year won't be next.
Some consider being up-to-the-minute on this as a way of guaging how 'down' you are. Which is probably why the article was written in the first place.

posted by black8 at 1:12 PM on August 14, 2000

depends, really...i utilize slang in some of my higher-minded writing because it's language that i can't imagine not knowing, despite its ephemerality. as far as interpersonal conduct goes, it's possible to salt your speech with vernacular without coming off like a caricature; so much of language comprehension is determined by context that people are likely to be able to decipher most of what you say regardless. that's not to say that you need to go around sucking your teeth and ending any sentence with "ya heard?", just that hip-hop is such an integral part of popular culture (whether i like that or not is another issue entirely) that the secret-code aspect has by and large passed.
posted by proven self at 8:11 PM on August 14, 2000