Hip-hop, Identity, and Cultural Hybridity: An Exploration of Motswako as a Bicultural Phenomenon
Kgomotso Mothokhumo Ambitious Theledi 
& Soyiso Khetoa
Issue: Vol.5 No.15 Special Issue Article 5 pp.58-70
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245155 | Published online 18th December, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
South Africa is a linguistically and culturally diverse country. South African locals normally assimilate more than one culture, officially and unofficially. The former refers to the systematic transition experienced by speakers of African languages in government schools from acquiring knowledge in their main language, to learning in English, while the latter refers to voluntary access to cultures of other people within their immediate environment. As locals acquire other languages, they in turn acquire the culture of the language they are acquiring because language and culture are indissoluble. This study is premised on the idea that music is a universal language with which musicians communicate aspirations, desires and experiences. Therefore, in this study, the researchers sought to explore the exchange of ideas in hip-hop collaborative projects. The study revealed that in the past, hip-hop was undesirably perceived in South Africa due to associations it had with offensive language and violence. Within the context of the historical past of South Africa, hip-hop was embraced as a mouthpiece to comment against social ills and injustices when locals could not freely express themselves. However, contemporarily, thematic concepts expressed in hip-hop include value for life, an assumption of an expensive lifestyle, objectification of females, socio-political observations, and so forth. The study concludes that collaboration is an important factor in career development within the hip-hop fraternity and encourages collaborative projects beyond terrestrial borders. This study contributes to literature on music and its impact on culture.
Keywords: Youth, Expressionism, Bi-Cultural, Frame-Shift Theory, Motswako Hip-Hop.
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Dr. Kgomotso Mothokhumo Ambitious Theledi is a linguist in the Department of of African Languages at the University of Witwatersrand in the School of Literature, Language and Media. Working in the School of Literature, Language and Media, Dr Theledi gained interest in popular media where she explored cultural identity and language used in music. Dr Theledi has presented his research at numerous conferences, and seminars locally and internationally where her interests focus on pure linguistics, sociolinguistics and popular media. In addition to her teaching and research, she actively contributed to the academic community at the University of Witwatersrand. Dr Theledi serves as an external examiner and as a peer reviewer for various academic journals, playing an important role in advancing research and scholarship. Dr Theledi has extensive experience supervising students across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. Her supervision record reflects a commitment to fostering independent research, critical thinking, and academic excellence.
Dr. Soyiso Khetoa is a sociolinguist and the current Head of the Department of African Languages at the University of the Witwatersrand in the School of Literature, Language and Media, who is making a notable impact on the field of African languages sociolinguistics. With a diverse and robust academic portfolio, Dr. Khetoa has authored numerous journal articles and book chapters, with additional research articles under review for publication. His scholarly interests span a wide range of topics, including multilingualism, translanguaging, language teaching and learning, humanizing teaching pedagogy, the re-intellectualization of African languages, socio-onomastics, narrative arts, and language ideologies. Dr. Khetoa has presented his research at prestigious conferences locally and internationally, sharing insights that shape contemporary sociolinguistic discourse. In addition to his academic endeavors, he serves as a peer reviewer for various esteemed academic journals, playing a pivotal role in advancing research and scholarship in his field.
Theledi, Kgomotso Mothokhumo Ambitious & Soyiso Khetoa. “Hip-hop, Identity, and Cultural Hybridity: An Exploration of Motswako as a Bicultural Phenomenon,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.15 (2024):58-70. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245155
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
