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AN EXPLORATION OF AMERICAN RAP WORDS THROUGH THE LENS OF STRUCTURAL METAPHOR THEORY
d https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14165371
Abstract: Rap music incorporates metaphorical nuances, fostering meaningful transformations. Drawing upon Lakoff & Johnson's seminal structural metaphor theory, this research delves into the modalities and assimilation of multicultural elements within American rap lyrics. Employing a combination of literature review and case analysis methodologies, the research reveals: 1) The prevalence of structural metaphor in rap adheres to two universal patterns; 2) The vocabulary employed mirrors American multiculturalism, disseminating societal and cultural nuances. These findings underscore the universal mechanisms at play and offer valuable insights. The research underscores the importance of acknowledging rap's linguistic allure and its rich multicultural tapestry.
Key Words: Rap Words; Structural Metaphor; Semantic Transformation; Generation Mechanism;
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE RESEARCH
Rap is a special form of artistic expression based on language. It mainly relies on rappers telling their own words quickly, and music only provides rhythm background. rap, along with three other art forms recording techniques, graffiti art, and break-dancing makes up hip-hop culture. rap originated in American slums in the late 1970s and quickly spread to black communities across the country. Since the 1980s and 1990s, rap has gradually become a global trend. African American English (AAE) as one of the many variants of American English, is the main source of rap lyrics, singing in a congregation hand continuous transformation and combination, and gradually formed a special African American English a clock application genre, namely "rap slang".
In linguistic research, spoken and textual language are indispensable subjects, but lyrics, as an important part of songs, have not received much attention. In the existing studies, domestic and foreign scholars from the perspective of linguistics
Chenghua
Master Candidate Tianshui Normal University [email protected]
focus more on the analysis and research of the origin, internal language system and the interaction between "rap slang" and the external environment.
In "African American English", Green (2002) presents an overview of speech events, within which braggadocio style, signification and toasts are discussed in rap lyrics.
From the "Journal of Black Studies", we can find many articles on the study of rap from the perspective of sociology and social psychology. Among them, Henderson (1996) studied some nationalist trends in rap, focusing on its development and its impact on future growth. He believes rappers should focus on returning to the nationalism of Hip HOP culture.
However, there are few researches on the semantic development and changes of specific words in "rap slang". In fact, many words in "rap slang" have undergone semantic transformation in the actual use of songs, and the way of semantic transformation mainly relies on the special cognitive process of structural metaphor, one of the conceptual metaphor ideas proposed by Lakoff & Johnson. Rappers transform the semantic meaning of a large number of words in rap songs. After the popularity and dissemination of songs, the public receives the meaning of these words after transformation in real life, thus realizing the expansion of the cognitive domain of a large number of words, namely the richness of their semantics.
1.2 PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH
This research attempts to use structural metaphor, a unique cognitive way, to analyze the unique phenomenon that some words of American rap have a large number of semantic transformation in rap songs to enrich the meaning of these words. On the basis of expanding the lexical research of American rap lyrics from the perspective of linguistics, it realizes the promotion of American rap words to the semantic development and change of standard English words.
Based on the structural conceptual metaphor theory and combined with the social reality and cultural background of rap, this research analyzes and studies typical words in their context, guides people to understand their cultural system while enjoying their unique music experience, explores how rappers use structural metaphor to construct words, thus transforming the semantic meaning of words and experiencing their unique linguistic charm. It not only realizes the widespread existence of metaphor concept in general language, but also opens up a linguistic perspective for the study of American rap
1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH
First of all, as one of the text genres of AAE, rap lyrics not only contain a large number of slang words used by the black community and even the American social agenda, but also produce a certain number of special slang words to be applied in
daily life. The research hopes to arouse people's attention to this unique language form and.
Secondly, rap songs are mixed with African American spiritual culture, American youth culture and social culture, so the research of rap vocabulary has broad and profound social significance for the understanding of its special American cultural hybridity.
Thirdly, there are a few researches on rap lyrics at home and abroad, especially on the structural metaphor phenomenon of single words. In this research, the analysis of American rap words based on structural metaphor theory can provide some contributions to broaden the research of rap lyrics.
Lastly, this research can help the audience better understand rap's culture and appreciate its metaphorical language application.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 PREVIOUS LINGUISTIC INVESTIGATIONS INTO AMERICAN RAP LYRICS
As aforementioned, numerous "rap slang words" originate from African American English (AAE). These "rap slang words" are primarily rooted in AAE, not merely in terms of phonetics or grammar, but also in a broader linguistic context, encompassing the actual application of language and the verbal customs adhered to by those who speak it. Since the inception of rap music, research on its lyrics has predominantly centered on linguistic changes in phonology, spelling, and grammar.
According to the research titled "The Phonetic Features of African American Vernacular English Vowels in U.S. Rap" conducted by Duan Yujing (2017), the author utilized the "Praat" software to capture spectrograms of the pronunciations of words within intercepted rap samples. Subsequently, these spectrograms were compared and analyzed with those of American Standard English pronunciation, enabling a comprehensive examination of the phonetic characteristics in question.
According to "A Sociolinguistic Analysis of American Rap Slang", the author Yang Yao analyzed and briefly summarized the interactive development of rap slang with external environment from the perspective of sociolinguistic linguistics, and summarized the linguistic and grammatical features of rap slang as follows: There are many words or phrases are shortened into readable forms to keep the lyrics rhyming and the rap flowing in rap music. Abbreviations caused by ellipsis or linking can be seen everywhere in rap lyrics and play a prominent role.
2.2 PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS ON AMERICAN RAP LYRICS FROM A SOCIOCULTURAL PERSPECTIVE
Rap music and its lyrics have emerged as a cornerstone of American society and culture, in a manner that was unimaginable during its inception. Initially
dismissed as a fleeting trend, rap has transformed into a phenomenon, boasting an ever-expanding base of ardent fans.
It is widely believed that the use of English changes the language behavior of individuals and social groups. Cooper (1985) once asserted that the spread of a language is not the spread of the language ontology, but the increase in the number of users who master the language manifests the spread. In general, the higher the level of formal education and the higher the level of socialization of speakers of Standard American English or American English dialects, the less likely a person is to speak rap slang or only rap slang. However, because most African Americans use rap slang heavily in certain informal or formal communications, some phrases or usages have become embedded in mainstream American culture.
Speers (1999) studied rap from a historical perspective, and his ideas are reflected in his book "Race and Ideology: language symbolism, and popular culture" He thinks that the language of the Rap is mainly AAE, Rap can be understood as A kind of culture in the form of resistance.
Greg Dimitriadis (2001) explored text reading and the dynamic use of hip-hop and rap by black youth in his book "Performing Identity/Performing Culture: HipHop as textpedagogy and lived practice ". What he proposes is an effort to link his claims about expressive identity with well-founded teaching practices and policy initiatives.
Sullivan (2003), in his magazine "Rap and Race", examined racial differences between black and white teenagers' perceptions of rap: "it's got a nice beat, but what about the message?" His study asked a wide range of music fans how rap influenced them and concluded that there were limited racial differences in their liking for rap.
Kitwana (2005) revealed that why Hip-Hop appeals to white youth in his book, "Why White Kids Love Hip-Hop".
3 THEORETICAL FOUNDATION
3.1 THE DEFINITION OF STRUCTURAL METAPHOR
Lakoff and Johnson (1980) divided metaphor into structural metaphor, directional metaphor and entity metaphor, and defined structural metaphor as constructing another concept with the structure of one concept, making the two concepts superimposed, and applying words that talk about various aspects of one concept to another concept. Lakoff and Johnson's interpretation model of metaphor can be described as using mapping between source domain and target domain and image schemata to explain metaphorical phenomena. The mapping of metaphor makes it possible and realistic to provide structure for a previously non-existent conceptual structure.
3.2 THE FOUNDATION OF STRUCTURAL METAPHOR THEORY
Ferdinand de Saussure (1974) pointed out in his "Course in General Linguistic^' that everything in the state of language is based on relations. There are two basic relations in language: one is the sentence relationship formed by the horizontal combination of language, and the other is the association relationship formed by the vertical convergence of language. Paragraph relation is the combination relation between words in the language chain; Association is outside the language, all the words that have something in general will be united in people's memory to form a set with various relations. Their place is in the human brain, part of the inner treasure of language that belongs to everyone.
The principle of the ubiquity of metaphor was similarly endorsed by A Richards. Every language has a metaphorical structure that cannot be abandoned, and it affects the meaning revealed. Metaphor is made of reality, and in retrospect it is made of reality. The basic content of Richards' theory of "the inter animation of words" is as follows: metaphor includes two aspects: the "metaphorical tenor" is the inner thought, the "metaphorical body" carries the "metaphorical tenor", and "metaphorical body" and "metaphorical tenor" appear simultaneously to result in a meaning. Without their interaction, meaning would not be possible. The metaphor does not, as is often said, merely alter the charms of the metonymy in any way. On the contrary, the metaphor and metonymy work together to produce meaning, which contains more adapted powers than can be possessed by itself. Richards' "R eciprocal Excitation Theory can be summarized as follows: Metaphor is the result of reciprocal excitation of words in a complete paragraph, and the environment of mutual excitation of metonymy and metaphor is the whole paragraph, and the emphasis on the whole paragraph constitutes an important background of Richards' theory.
In addition, the research results of cognitive science also provided an experimental basis for the existence and function of structural metaphor, and took structural metaphor as a cognitive model to reflect the basic thinking orientation of discourse construction and deconstruction. The fundamental purpose of discourse construction was to convey effective information, and successful information transmission depended on the similar cognitive premise of information coders and decoders. According to the theory put forward by Linda Flower (1981), people are accustomed to categorize information into categories or modules, and they always try to put new information into familiar frames as much as possible. "Schema theory" also indicated that there is a big difference in decoding methods between skilled decoders and beginners. The former will mobilize their long-term memory, experience and certain knowledge to find the similarity between unknown things and known things, namely the internal relationship schema between unknown things and
known things. The choice of details by schema occurs at different levels, which shows that structural metaphor is already in the framework of discourse level when processing information.
"Blended space theory", proposed by renowned cognitive linguist Fauconnier (1994), takes concept synthesis as a very general cognitive process and emphasizes its indispensable role in the meaning construction of natural language.
Based on the above scholars' research and views, the writer understand structural metaphor as follows: structural metaphor is not only the correspondence of similar or overlapping parts of two related concepts in cognitive domains, but also the precipitation of new abstract concepts by characteristic words of known concepts.
3.3 THE UNIVERSAL GENERATION MECHANISM OF STRUCTURAL METAPHOR
As a branch of conceptual metaphor, structural metaphor has been explored and studied by linguists at home and abroad. In his paper "On the Universality and Generation Mechanism of Structural Metaphor", Guo Xuming (2008) summarized the development of linguistic understanding of generation mechanism of structural metaphor.
At the beginning, the linguists put forward two theories, "Poverty of Language Hypothesis" and "Poverty of Thinking Hypothesis", to explain the generation mechanism of structural metaphor.
The theory of "Poverty of Language Hypothesis" attributes the generation of metaphor to "poverty of language". This theory refers to that when existing words cannot describe a certain concept or a new concept, some familiar or specific conceptual words are used for expression. Such borrowing brings about a large number of metaphorical words in the language. However, the "Poverty of Thinking Hypothesis" ascribe the generation of metaphor to the "poverty of thinking", that is, the limitation of the thinking ability of the builder of metaphor. This theory holds that two completely different things belong to the same domain of cognition due to the poorer human mind in the beginning. For example, "hilltop, mountainside, foothill" are implied structural metaphors that associate "mountain" with the "human body".
In general, although the above two theories have made some explanations on the generation mechanism of structural metaphor, they are obviously not convincing enough. The "Poverty of Language Hypothesis" only divides metaphorical phenomena into linguistic phenomena. In fact, language is only the expression medium of structural metaphor, which is essentially a cognitive phenomenon. Before the appearance of human language, human beings had already understood the world and conveyed information through such media as actions, tools and images. Moreover, the theory of "Poverty of Language Hypothesis" cannot explain why
human beings do not create new words to explain a new concept with the development of the finite contradiction between the interpretation of the world and language symbols, which is opposed to the generation of structural metaphor. Although the "Poverty of Thinking Hypothesis" classifies structural metaphor as one of the thinking and cognitive modes of human beings, it hardens it to the thinking and cognition of primitive human beings in the uncivilized mind and mostly attaches to early myths and religions. It holds that the thinking mode of structural metaphor will naturally disappear when the thinking level of human beings is mature, which is obviously inconsistent with the development history of human thinking. Even when the human mind has reached a certain level, structural metaphor still appears in various fields of social life, even in the interpretation of scientific principles.
With the further study of structural metaphor, "Heterogeneous Isomorphism Theory" and "Empiricism Cognitive View" come into being.
Proponents of "Heterogeneous Isomorphism Theory" propose: Since structural metaphor is based on a central metaphor (root metaphor), around which two structures with similar concepts (noumenon and metaphor) are systematically developed, there is a certain similarity between the metaphor and noumenon in structural metaphor, and the similarity is that people come from their existing cognitive domain. In this way, people can make use of the existing structure of things. To systematically recognize and understand unfamiliar or abstract things; Secondly, both sides of the dialogue need to have similar or the same knowledge background, or have some popular concepts that both sides know or have experienced. In this way, people can easily understand new things on the same basis, otherwise, there will be inconsistent understanding. For example, for the sentence "We are on the two parallel lines", a Chinese would think that both sides are on the left, because the Chinese are concerned that parallel lines do not intersect; Americans, on the other hand, see the two parallel lines as going in the same direction.
The western empirical view of cognition holds that the body experience is the subjective condition for the generation of structural metaphor. The empirical view of cognition acknowledges the reality of objective existence, but holds that the understanding of the objective world comes not from the correspondence with external entities, but from the experience of the real world. Empiricism holds that structural metaphor takes human's past experience around as raw materials. It constructs a new reasonable system by imagining, associating and analyzing the similarities between unfamiliar or abstract concepts and raw materials, and then organizing materials related to raw materials. This system belongs to familiar experience and is suitable for unfamiliar concepts. The successful use of language to express unfamiliar or abstract concepts, that is, indirect concepts proposed by the
empirical cognitive view. This indirect concept is expressed by imagining a system structure and template constructed from familiar experience, rather than a direct description of the representation of the unfamiliar. It can be concluded that the "Empiricism Cognitive View" holds that people perceive unfamiliar or abstract concepts with familiar concepts and experiences as the basic structure and system, rather than from the external correspondence to objective entities.
The "Heterogeneous Isomorphism Theory and the "Empiricism Cognitive View" reveal the root cause of the generation of structural metaphor from different perspectives. The former emphasizes the necessary objective basis of the generation of structural metaphor, while the latter emphasizes the subjective interference of the generation of structural metaphor. However, the problem is that the proponents of these two views rarely make a comprehensive discussion on the causes of the emergence of structural metaphor from the subjective and objective perspectives.
Strictly speaking, as a kind of human complex thinking cognition, it could not enough to establish a comprehensive and systematic explanation of the mechanism of the generation of structural metaphor, even if we admit that the heterogeneity and isomorphism of things and body experience are the objective conditions and subjective reasons for the generation of structural metaphor, which contains complex and profound human psychological mechanism. Therefore, the universal generation mechanism of structural metaphor needs concrete case analysis and comprehensive investigation from multiple perspectives. The generation of structural metaphor has its objective basis and subjective interference, and the subjective interference includes not only the physical experience, but also the law of human thinking or economic principles.
To sum up, the universal generation mechanism of lexical structure metaphor summarized as shown in the following Flowchart Figure :
Flowchart Figure The Universal Generation Mechanism of Lexical Structure
Metaphor
The construction of lexical structure metaphor in American rap usually follows the universal generation mechanism.
Next, the selected high-frequency typical words would be analyzed and how the structural metaphor of American rap words leads to their semantic transformation would be explored.
4 ANALYSIS AND ARGUMENT
4.1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND PROCEDURES
On the basis of previous studies on the internal language system of American rap lyrics as one of the AAE genres and its interaction with the external environment, this research attempts to broaden its research path from the perspective of linguistics based on the relevant theory of structural metaphor, that is, to study the semantic changes and development of American rap words after their occurring structural metaphor.
More specifically, this research attempts to:
(1) What are the specific conditions and modes of the semantic enrichment of rap words from the perspective of structural metaphor theory?
(2) Whether rap words enable people to understand and experience the American society's multi-culture or not?
This research would be conducted through the following two steps:
To delve deeper into the phenomenon of structural metaphor in American rap lyrics, a comprehensive analysis was conducted on 100 selected rap songs from 2010 to 2022. These songs, which garnered over 999 comments on NetEase Cloud Music, served as linguistic samples for this research. (See Appendix).
Zeno (1995) defined high-frequency words as those that appear more than 10 times in every 1,000,000 words. And low-frequency words or rare words were defined as those that appear less than once in every 1,000,000 words.
The research involves an estimated total of approximately 150,000 words, sourced from 100 selected American rap songs. Words that appeared ten times or more frequently were chosen as representative. Consequently, 14 words that embodied structural metaphor (excluding those with negative value connotations) were retained for further analysis (refer to Table 1). These words will be scrutinized through the lens of the general generative mechanisms underpinning structural metaphor.
Step One
Step Two
Table 1 Representative Words
Sequence Number
Representative Words
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12
13
14
balling (ballin') grind/grinding drip
Benjamin (benjie; benji). drop the beat(spin the sh*t) no cap shout out to
beef flex/flexing pop/popping ice flow shawty homie
4.2 Analysis
The following is a detailed analysis of these 14 words:
A. Balling (Ballin')
"Ball" is commonly employed as a noun in standard English, referring to spherical objects or ball-related games, encompassing football, rugby, basketball, and so forth, as well as the games they signify. The "-ing" suffix, when appended to a verb, typically conveys the ongoing nature of the action denoted by that verb. In a direct sense, "balling" mirrors the noun's meaning of ball, alluding to the occurrence or ongoing state of a ball game.
Within American rap music, the term "balling" is frequently adopted by numerous rappers, signifying the attainment of wealth and, in some instances, the enhancement of social standing, amidst challenging living conditions, through diligent musical endeavors and the consistent creation of acclaimed works. Their relentless pursuit to "go to the next level" underscores this sentiment.
Evidently, the structural metaphorical phenomenon associated with "balling" has led to a substantial transformation in its semantics. Consequently, the question arises: How does "balling" elicit structural metaphor and thereby forge novel
semantic interpretations?
From an objective standpoint, the sports industry in American society is highly developed and expansive. Athletes in elite leagues garner substantial earnings, with superstar athletes amassing significant wealth. Notably, football and basketball stand out as two of the most popular sports in the United States. The national NFL (National Football League) and NBA (National Basketball Association) not only represent the pinnacle of domestic leagues but also rank among the world's elite, inspiring global participation. Furthermore, athletes in these leagues command top salaries globally. However, becoming an athlete necessitates not only innate physical prowess but also rigorous professional and scientific training, which can be financially daunting for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. The United States, through its robust promotion of sports development, offers all aspiring professional athletes opportunities for training and advancement, starting from childhood through school team selection or entry into lower leagues. This is particularly evident in football and basketball, where numerous American players in the NFL and NBA achieve stardom by entering the league draft from college or lower divisions. In the high-stakes, competitive environment of these leagues, every player strives for excellence while continuously seeking improvement. Prominent among them are sports icons like LeBron James and Allen Iverson. Clearly, these objective phenomena align with the premise of the "Heterogeneous Isomorphism Theory," which underscores the need for shared or similar knowledge backgrounds between conversational parties in the construction of structural metaphors.
The aforementioned objective phenomenon mirrors the experiences of numerous American rappers who were born into poverty and grew up amidst adversity. When coupled with their subjective mindset, such as aspirations for success or a sense of accomplishment, the structural metaphor of the term "balling" arises organically. Rappers employ this term to encapsulate a range of behaviors and phenomena that signify success achieved through personal endeavor. For instance, in Post Malone's song "White Iverson," he sings, "I'm ballin', I'm ballin', Iverson on you (I fight hard to get rich, like Iverson in his prime)." The construction of "balling" from existing experiences aligns perfectly with the Empiricism Cognitive View, which posits that structural metaphors emerge when the constructor "perceives unfamiliar or abstract concepts through the lens of familiar concepts and experiences as the foundational structure and system."
Given sufficient cultural context, audiences can decipher the meaning of the rapper's "balling" structural metaphor upon reflection, emphasizing the necessity for a shared mental framework among both the audience and the rappers. Consequently, the term "balling" has proliferated in rap music and gradually infiltrated everyday
language, successfully broadening its cognitive domain through the construction of structural metaphor—a phenomenon known as semantic enrichment.
B. Grind
"Grind" has become ubiquitous, drawing upon both its literal sense of grinding or milling in the physical world (such as industrial machinery employing grinders and culinary tools like pepper grinders) and its figurative meaning in gaming, where it signifies the repetitive completion of tasks to enhance one's character. In rap music, it metaphorically embodies the perseverance and unwavering drive to keep pushing forward, exemplified by phrases like "The grind is real" (implying substantial progress). This is evident in the lyrics of Jackson Wang's song "Papillon," where he states, "Team Wang do it, I'mma stay up on my grind, I'm living feeling like a Papillon" (signifying that his creative team and he persist relentlessly, living as a symbol of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon in rebirth). Consequently, our analysis reveals that the metaphorical construction of both "grind" and "balling" operates along similar principles.
C. Drip
"Drip" is intricately woven through the continuous catalytic metaphor of American society and culture, transcending its original linguistic roots as a verb signifying "to fall in small drops" and as a noun representing "drops of liquid." It has evolved from signifying the purity of jewelry to embodying the current meaning of "one's daily attire being fashionable and up to date." Common usage encompasses phrases like "He's dripping/He's dripped out (His outfit is stylish)" and "drip too hard (a trendsetter indicator)," as exemplified in the song "Drip too hard" by rappers Lil Baby & Gunna, where lyrics like "Drip too hard, charge it to the card. Designer to the ground, I can barely spell (I am wealthy, a trendsetter, and have acquired numerous designer fashion houses, their names escaping me)" are found. Based on this analysis, it becomes evident that the metaphorical construction mechanism underlying "drip" and "balling" is congruent.
D. Benjamin (benjie; benji).
"Benjamin" stands as one of the most ubiquitous names in the United States, while "benjie" and "benji" are its most common abbreviations. The prestigious $100 bill prominently features the renowned American president, Benjamin Franklin. Drawing upon these societal trends, rappers ingeniously employ the term "Benjamin" to forge metaphors within their lyrics, effectively conveying the essence of wealth. For instance, in the collaborative hit "Business is Business'' by Lil Baby and Gunna, the line "Benjis on benjis we stack every day" eloquently illustrates the abundance of profits garnered daily through their musical endeavors. A thorough examination reveals that the metaphorical framework employed for "Benjamin"
mirrors that of "balling," further underscoring their shared essence.
E. Drop the beat & Spin that sh*t
In rap music, "drop the beat" commonly signifies a rapper's request to the DJ to initiate the instrumental accompaniment prior to performing, enabling the singer and audience to jointly appreciate the music's rhythm. When analyzed through the lens of Queen's English, the connotations of "drop the beat" diverge significantly from its usage in rap culture. In Standard English, "drop" functions variously as a verb, connoting actions like throwing, reclining, excluding, removing, halting, or relinquishing, and as a noun, referring to raindrops or water droplets. Similarly, "beat" serves both as a verb, indicating repetitive actions like striking, pounding, jerking, or stirring, and as a noun, signifying a stroke or forte in music or poetry. Given that the phrase "drop the beat" seemingly lacks direct correlation to the act of "playing accompaniment," the question arises: how does the phrase embody the meaning of "playing the instrumental accompaniment of a song" through the framework of structural metaphor?
Firstly, let's commence with the term "beat,"which, as a noun, signifies the percussive or emphatic hit found in music or poetry. Rap is the artistry of language, accompanied by a rhythmic backdrop of music. The cornerstone of this accompaniment lies in various types of drums, whose percussive sounds typically dictate the song's beat. Among American rap artists, numerous talented individuals excel not only in rapping but also in producing their own accompaniment and postproduction, showcasing a versatile skill set. To succinctly capture the essence of accompaniment in rap, the term "beat" has emerged as a vivid and concise representation. Over time, this imagery has transcended its original context, with professional musicians specializing in accompaniment creation being referred to as "beat makers". When considering the phrase "drop the beat," a literal translation might suggest "dropping" or "stopping" the accompaniment. However, the term inherently embodies a metaphorical structure, deriving from the physical act of placing a record or needle on a turntable to initiate playback. In the realm of rap, "drop the beat" has evolved to colloquially mean "playing the accompaniment of a song."
Similarly, the expression "spin that sh*t" originates from the film "8 Miles," where "spin" signifies "to whirl around," and "that sh*t" alludes to the "record player." Thus, "spin that sh*t" directly translates to "to spin the record player," metaphorically meaning "to play music or the accompaniment of a song."
These expressions not only add flair to the rap culture but also reflect the creativity and ingenuity of its practitioners. It can be seen that different from "ballin'" which relies on social life and cultural background as the objective basis of
its structural metaphor, "drop the beat" depends more on the reflection of the word itself in the objective world. In line with "Heterogeneous Isomorphism Theory" put forward "some popular concepts that both sides of the conversation know or have experience".
And the methodology for constructing semantic transformation in terms of thinking.
It is no different from "balling", which is carried out by the public's (audiences and rappers) existing experience cognition and general way of thinking, that is, it conforms to the "Empiricism Cognitive View" that the generation of structural metaphor needs that the constructor "perceive unfamiliar or abstract concepts with familiar concepts and experiences as the basic structure and system" and "the public (audiences and rappers) need to think in a similar way".
F. No cap & Shout out to
In Standard English, the term "cap" encompasses definitions like "a protective covering for an object" and "a maximum limit." Through the associative mapping of "a covering or object safeguarding another," "cap" has acquired a colloquial sense akin to "deceiving others," mirroring the usage of "lie" within American social culture. Consequently, within rap music, "no cap" has been coined by rappers to signify "no restrictions" and "no falsehoods." An illustrative instance is Rapper L il Tjay's verse "No cap n***as already know I was gon' make it (no lie, everyone knows I'm gonna make it)" from his song "No Escape."
Similarly, "shout out to someone" has evolved from its original meaning of "shouting towards someone" to signify "honoring someone," a transformation attributed to rappers. Upon examination, these words share a common mode of structural metaphor generation akin to "drop the beat."
G. Beef; Flex/Flexing & Pop/Popping
"Beef" is frequently employed as a noun in Standard English, primarily signifying "meat derived from a cow." However, in the context of everyday American life, it has acquired an additional colloquial meaning, alluding to grievances, dissatisfaction, or accusations. For instance, one might inquire, "What's his latest beef?" (implying, "What is he currently complaining about?"). Recognizing this alternate significance, rappers ingeniously incorporate similar connotations of "dissatisfaction towards someone" and "conflict with someone" into their lyrics, often utilizing "beef" as a verb in conjunction with "with," to express the idea of "displeasing someone" or "being in Hip-hop conflict with someone." An illustrative excerpt from J. Cole's "MIDDLE CHILD" goes, "This watch came from Drizzy, he gave me a gift. Back when the rap game was prayin' I'd diss. They act like two legends cannot coexist. But I'd never beef with an n**a for nothin'." (Which
translates to, "This watch was a gift from Drake. In the past, when I was in the rap game, some assumed I was criticizing him. They believed we couldn't coexist, but I'm not the type to create unnecessary conflicts.")
Analogous to "beef," the term "flex" in rap music carries the meaning of "to showcase" or similar expressions, stemming from the phrase "flex one's muscle to" (which suggests displaying one's abilities). An example can be found in Polo G and Juice WRLD's song "Flex," where they rap, "Flexin' with a hundred cash, look at what these songs do" (meaning, "Showing off with a hundred dollar bill, see how impressive our songs are").
"Pop/Popping" encompasses various nuances in rap music, and its interpretation necessitates a contextual analysis within the verses of rap songs. All these interpretations stem from the fundamental meanings of the Standard English verb "to burst with a bang" and "to emerge abruptly or fleetingly." Consider the instance in rapper Tyga and singer Chris Brown's collaboration, "4yo," where "Left the roof at home. We popping like ayo ayo ayo. (To shake the room, we groove and sway.)" The line portrays a sudden, energetic presence akin to an explosion. Additionally, in rapper Jack Harlow's song "WHAT'S POPPIN'," the phrase "What's poppin'? Pooh, you a fool for this one. (Hey Pooh, what's new? You've been looking rough lately.)" employs a similar structural metaphor generation pattern as "drop the beat." Upon scrutiny, it becomes evident that these expressions share a common metaphorical framework.
After thorough analysis, it becomes evident that the aforementioned words share a similar mode of structural metaphor generation, akin to the phrase "drop the beat."
H. Ice & Flow
In rap music, the term "ice" metaphorically signifies "jewelry of exceptional purity," drawing parallels to the physical attributes of objects in the tangible world. For instance, in the song "Pure Water" by Mustard featuring Migos, the line "Ice chain pure water. You got the cash but can't afford it." (implying "I possess a diamond necklace of unparalleled purity, beyond your financial reach") underscores this metaphorical usage.
Similarly, the word "flow" embodies the essence of "a rapper's lyrical prowess," analogous to the continuous motion of water. As exemplified in Drake's "Nonstop" with the verse "This the flow that got the block hot" (meaning "This song of mine ignited the entire neighborhood with its rhythm and rhymes"), the metaphor is evident.
Upon examination, it becomes apparent that both "ice" and "flow," along with expressions like "drop the beat," share a common generative framework rooted in
structural metaphor.
I. Shawty & Homie
The term "shawty" is a derivative of "shorty," originally denoting something or someone extremely diminutive, but has since evolved, particularly in rap music, to predominantly signify "beautiful women" or "a woman particularly admired by the rapper," akin to expressions like "baby" or "honey." For instance, in Lil Tjay's hit "In My Head," the lyrics "Shawty's like a melody in my head, that I can't keep out, got me singin' like Na-na-na-na everyday (Baby, you're like a melody in my head, which I can't stop singing everyday)" demonstrate this usage.
Analogously, the word "homie," which was initially adopted by rappers to convey the idea of "fellow" or "countryman," has undergone a semantic shift in popular culture, now commonly referring to "friends who have grown up together," a definition that has been widely embraced and adopted by the general public.
After thorough analysis, it becomes evident that the aforementioned words share a similar mode of structural metaphor generation, akin to the phrase "drop the beat."
4.3 Summary
After analysis, it can be seen that the above words have the same mode of generation mechanism of structural metaphor as "drop the beat".
In combination with the universal generation mechanism of structural metaphors involved in "heterogeneous isomorphism" and "empirical cognitive view", the generation mechanisms of these 14 high-frequency words can be summarized in the following Table 2.
Table 2 The Summary of Generation Mechanisms of Representative Words
Heterogeneous Isomorphism Theory
Empiricism Cognitive View
Other Subjective Elements
Seque
nce Numb er
Representa tive Words
1 .Similar or the same knowledge background that both sides of the conversation have 2.Some popular concepts that both sides of the conversation know or have experience
concepts and experiences as the basic
Perceive
unfamiliar or abstract
concepts with familiar
structure and
of human thinking
2.Economic principles
1.General laws
system
1 balling (ballin') grind/ grinding drip Benjamin (benjie; benji). drop the 1 .Similar or the same
knowledge background
2 that both sides of the
3 4 conversation have: the black community;American society and sport culture
5 beat
(spin the
sh*t) 2.Some popular
6 no cap concepts that both sides
7 shout out to of the conversation
8 beef know or have
9 flex/ experience:
flexing some characteristics of
10 pop/ words correspond to
popping actual objects in the
11 ice objective world.
12 flow
13 shawty
14 homie
Perceive unfamiliar or abstract concepts with familiar concepts and experiences as the basic structure and system
General laws of human thinking : Under the influence of American social
background, the orientation of extended thinking on lexical semantics is the identity
In Table 2, the two distinct modes of semantic transformation triggered by structural metaphor are succinctly outlined:
Rap words such as "ballin", "grind/grinding", "drip", and "Benjamin" have undergone social and cultural scrutiny to "accelerate" their semantic evolution. This process primarily hinges on American localized societal and cultural nuances, serving as the pivotal foundation to "spur" the semantic transformation of these terms within the broader human cognitive framework. In essence, the localized societal and
cultural context "fuels" the lexical semantic transformation.
Contrasting with the aforementioned mode, the semantic transformation of expressions like "drop the beat" stems from their inherent characteristics as they are mapped onto the objective world and shaped by the collective human thought patterns. Specifically, the semantic evolution of these vocabulary items transpires through an autonomous process of mapping onto the objective reality.
5 Conclusion and Implications
5.1 Main Findings
By examining 14 representative words (excluding those conveying negative value) that embody structural metaphors in 100 American rap songs, this research reveals two distinct modes of lexical semantic transformation, both adhering to the universal mechanism of institutional metaphor. Specifically, local society and culture serve as 'catalysts' for the semantic transformation of a word, while the semantic shift of a word arises through a process of self-mapping onto the objective world.
Furthermore, this research highlights that these words are deeply ingrained with the multicultural fabric of American society. Rap music possesses a spiritual essence that disseminates social culture, enabling individuals to comprehend and immerse themselves in the multifaceted cultural landscape of American society through the enjoyment of these songs.
5.2 Implications
In essence, this research delves into rap lyrics through the lens of metaphor, reaffirming the ubiquitous nature of metaphor as a cognitive process while concurrently endeavoring to broaden the linguistic research horizons within the realm of rap lyrics. In contrast to previous studies that often regarded rap lyrics solely as a form of black slang, emphasizing their linguistic structure and construction, this investigation shifts its focus to the evolution and implications of their lexical semantics.
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