J to tha C: Divine Love and Hip Hop Language in America

• In Event: Fixated and Fascinated: Linguistic Artistry in African American Popular Culture

Abstract

This paper embraces an emancipatory lens to examine the interpenetration of hip-hop and religious discourses in order to demonstrate how divine love and self love are dominant in both hip-hop and Black religious culture. Specifically examining the works of KRS-One and C.L. Franklin, the essay blends ethnographic backgrounds with textual analysis to unearth some of the under-embraced considerations about hip-hop.

Authors

• Rebecca Obermeyer, Northern Kentucky University

• Jimmie Manning, Northern Kentucky University