أطراس
Volume 7, Numéro 1, Pages 316-327
2026-01-15
The Nigerian Hip-hop Star As A Social Activist: Indigenised Codes As Rhetorical Patterns In Selected Songs Of Eedris Abdulkareem
Authors : Awoniyi Folorunso . Akano Richard . Adebayo Grace .
Abstract
Nigerian hip-hop music is both an art form and an instrument of cultural commentary and social activism. Extant studies have investigated how hip-hop music has advanced the course of social criticism, except for the voice of activism in Eedris Abdulkareem's songs. This study, therefore, examines some rhetorical patterns and how they serve as a conveyor belt in projecting the song artist’s ideology of social activism in the selected songs. Data were drawn from three songs by Eedris Abdulkareem: Jaga Jaga, Jaga Jaga Reloaded and Egunje. The study is anchored on the theoretical notions of Myers-Scotton’s markedness model and Adegbija’s concept of Nigerianism. Findings show that Eedris Abdulkareem, a Nigerian hip-hop artist and social activist, artistically deploys Nigerian pidgin or Naija, local symbolism and mixed codes, and repetition as rhetorical devices throughout his songs. Hinging on the shared knowledge that the hip-hop star shares with the audience, the rhetorical patterns are strategically deployed to construct social meaning. The artist deploys imagery to visualise the social struggles being articulated and uses confrontational language in viciously attacking sociopolitical ills, which strikes a strong emotional response in the audience. This study offers a unique perspective on the effectiveness of music as a tool for social activism, and on the wider use of rhetorical devices in conceptualising the aesthetic and social impact of music.
Keywords
Eedris Abdulkareem ; markedness model ; rhetorical patterns ; Nigerianism ; Nigerian hip-hop music
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