Music, Style and Message: A Classification of Major Themes in Nigerian Hip Hop

Hip hop which originated from the African-American community of the Bronx New York is exerting a domineering effect in most African countries. It is un-arguably and gradually becoming the most popular mode of musical expression among artistes in the sub-sahara region with visible affiliation to the global popular culture trends. The Nigerian youths have embraced this music style and identified with its culture thereby bringing the genre to the mainstream of the country’s popular music scene. Through lyrical and textual analysis of select songs and artistes, this paper examines the Nigerian hip hop brand against the backdrop of its major identifiable themes and attempts a classification module for the genre via its output and messages.