Multilingualism and hip hop consumption in Nigeria: Accounting for the local acceptance of a global phenomenon

Abstract

Hip hop music has enjoyed global popularity and patronage on a level that has transcended that of most other music genres. It is perhaps due to the genre's worldwide popularity that many forms of hip hop have sprung up across the globe. The Nigerian version of the music has been overwhelmingly accepted by a good number of youths in the country irrespective of class, religion and social status. However, there is some speculation as to what factors are responsible for the recent sudden boom in the popular consumption of this genre among the youth, since hip hop has been a feature of the Nigerian musical landscape since the 1980s. With the aid of qualitative data collection instruments - thirty in-depth interviews and six key informant interviews among hip hop fans and club DJs, respectively - the study establishes the centrality of multilingualism as a primary reason for the acceptance of hip hop among Nigerian youth.