أطراس
Volume 7, Numéro 2, Pages 226-240
2026-07-15
Constructing Masculinity, Sexuality And Power In Nigerian Afrobeats: A Discourse-historical And Systemic Functional Analysis Of Asake’s Lyrics
Authors : Adebayo Olajumoke .
Abstract
Language in contemporary Afrobeats is not merely expressive but constitutive of identity, power, and social relations. Despite growing scholarship on Nigerian hip-hop, limited attention has been paid to how interpersonal linguistic resources function ideologically to construct masculinity, sexuality, and celebrity power. This study addresses this gap by examining how Asake deploys interpersonal meaning to negotiate self-promotion, positioning, and sexual discourse in his lyrics. Drawing on Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA), five purposively selected songs (2022–2023) were analysed through a qualitative, clause-based approach focusing on mood, personal pronouns, vocatives, and expletives. The findings indicate that declarative clauses and first-person pronouns are the most frequent interpersonal resources in the lyrics. They are used as strategies of positive self-presentation and authority construction. Imperatives and vocatives are employed to exert relational control, especially in the portrayal of women, thus perpetuating gendered power imbalances. Interrogatives, while less common, fulfil rhetorical functions that bolster status and appeal. Overall, the lyrics construct a kind of hegemonic masculinity based on success, sexual agency, and symbolic capital. The study recommends that subsequent research should further examine the ideological implications of popular music discourse, especially its function in either normalising or challenging gender and socio-economic disparities within African popular culture.
Keywords
Critical Discourse Analysis ; Identity Construction ; Interpersonal Meaning ; Nigerian Afrobeats ; Masculinity and Sexuality
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