By Lizzy Mirisola
In “Yorkville Crossing: White teens, hip hop and African American English,” Cecilia Cutler explores the adoption of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) by white middle class American teenagers who may be expected to use something more reminiscent of Standard English (SE) instead. Cutler observers a friend’s son, Mike, as he matures during his teenage years, and readily adopts AAVE, both as a linguistic style and as a lifestyle, participating in gang activity in New York City.
In “Yorkville Crossing: White teens, hip hop and African American English,” Cecilia Cutler explores the adoption of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) by white middle class American teenagers who may be expected to use something more reminiscent of Standard English (SE) instead. Cutler observers a friend’s son, Mike, as he matures during his teenage years, and readily adopts AAVE, both as a linguistic style and as a lifestyle, participating in gang activity in New York City.
Mike
goes through several phases in his adoption of AAVE and a sort of ghetto-ized,
African American lifestyle. The
first, which occurs around age 13, is his disassociation with groups he
considers “racist” against African Americans (aligning himself with African
Americans and other low income minority groups though he is clearly white and
wealthy.) This intrigued me because included in the groups he singles out are
people of Jewish descent, a minority population that has faced widespread
discrimination historically. And
yet, Mike views them as racist against African Americans. This seems to suggest that perhaps
money plays a part in this dichotomy Mike is forming in his head between those
who are “with African Americans” and those who are “against them.” Additionally, Mike tries to distance
himself from his high-income neighborhood by using his brother’s Brooklyn phone
number. Cutler notes that this behavior is common for users of
hip-hop online chat rooms, who are often middle class but try to align
themselves with signs of poverty instead.
Mike’s
behavior becomes increasingly violent during his teenage years, and his
language increasingly reminiscent of AAVE. He creates a “tag name,” joins a (predominantly white) gang
and uses drugs. He gets into trouble
numerous times. These are behaviors often associated with low-income Black and
Latino culture, and distanced from upper-middle class activities of white
children growing up in New York City.
However, even as Mike transitions back to a lifestyle more typically
accepted of a white, middle-class college student as he ages, his violent
tendencies remain intact, begging the question, was Mike really affected by a
desire to fit into a certain culture or was he predisposed to this kind of
behavior all along?
It’s
unclear whether Mike’s path would have ultimately been very different had he
not chosen to align himself with African American, urban culture. However, what is clear is that the
general trend of white youth seeking to align themselves with African American,
urban culture, particularly through the use of language and style is widening
to include even younger age groups.
Case in point: Matty B, the up and coming eight-year-old rapper.
In the link above, Matty B covers Pitbull and T-Pain’s “Hey
Baby,” a song marketed towards an adult audience with an interest in rap and
hip-hop, music genres historically developed and patronized by urban
populations, often of African American or Latino descent. Using phrases like, “gotta flow now,
like a pro now” and “my friends are watchin’. They hear us talkin’” Matty B portrays what many people
would consider “ghetto” impression.
He uses his hands in the same way famous rappers do by throwing them
forward dramatically, attempts to deepen his voice (emphasis on the word
attempt) and shortens words in a typically AAVE style. Even his name suggests an allegiance
with well-known rappers who often shorten their names to nicknames, don’t
utilize last names and abbreviate using letters. Matty B’s case is particularly interesting because of his
age. In Cutler’s article, she
cites contact with kids from the Bronx, Harlem and elsewhere and street culture
in general as the probable source of Mike’s transformation. However, it seems difficult to discern
where Matty B, an eight-year old from what appears to be American suburbia,
would have picked up the cultural cues to be able to align himself with rap
culture originally reserved for low-income, urban neighborhoods. It’s a safe bet that the media had a
strong hand in this, and perhaps Matty B’s parents and friends at school.
Matty
B has other videos as well, one in particular where he covers an Eminem song which
creates a multi-layer effect of “wigga” culture, some asserting that Eminem
himself is a wigga.
In
the Eminem cover above, we are able to hear Matty B speak as he would normally,
when not rapping. The difference
between what I presume to be his alter ego of Matty B and his more natural
state (when he’s speaking to his sister for instance) is quite significant. There is certainly a façade being
created by his rapping persona. In
additoin, as Matty B teaches his little sister phrases like “cheeyea,” we see
the culture being extended to yet another, and younger age group.
I
feel like this post wouldn’t be complete without the obligatory Justin Bieber
shout out. Perhaps the most
successfully marketed child star ever, his dance moves and clothing style
(shown below) are noticeably reminiscent of African American/Latino Urban
culture.
Here, we see Bieber “dougie” and “jerk” (the first a dance
move developed during the 1980’s by rapper “Doug E Fresh” and the second a form
of inner-city dance developed in southern California (Urban Dictionary)). Both moves are unexpected of, though
extremely well performed by Bieber yet the entire scenario seems somewhat
contradictory, particularly given the gaggle of presumably “tween”-aged girls screaming
and near-fainting each time Bieber whips out a new move. A situation that likely would have been
characteristic of an inner-city dance battle or concert is mapped onto an
entirely different demographic here.
It is an odd juxtaposition.
In addition, Bieber’s clothing style is markedly urban (his pants
struggle to stay up throughout the duration of his performance and his consistent
tugging is a move often utilized by those in the rap business.) Bieber, who only recently turned 17 and
whose fans range in age from infanthood to adulthood, demonstrates the success
crossing over can bring. He seems
to be inherently contradictory of what we as society expect, based on the
racial dichotomy that has developed in America of “whiteness” and “blackness.”
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