Investigating Youth and Language Use: the Influence of Kenyan Christian Hip Hop Music

Abstract

In this study I sat to final out the language used by the youth and how. In this study I set to find out the influence of Christian hip hop music on the language used by the youths in Kenya today. The “hip hop language” which is secular in nature has found its way in the Kenyan churches, thus one objective of this study was to investigate how the music we listen to highly influences the way we speak. Using the social identity theory by Tajfel and Turner, it was clear that many Christian hip hop lyricists use language patterns to foreground various identities. Through focused group discussions, direct observation and interviews at the Mavuno church I found out that the so called street languages are now appreciated in the church settings. “Hip hop language”, though secular has found its place in the church for identity.