The Linguistic Means at the Service of Religious Hip-hop

Abstract

The present article concerns interpretations of religious issues through the medium of rap music. Rappers are conventionally young people, most commonly laymen, but in Poland, among this group of artists, are young theologians, endeavouring to convey a religious message to other young people in a language they can understand and identify with. The article has its theoretical basis in the fields of cognitive linguistics and theolinguistics, and its main focus is on authentic language material which strikingly illustrates the way the linguistic picture of the world can walk a tightrope between sacrum and profanum. The language of hip-hop compositions is often raw, forthright, and emotional, and can be explicit to the point of vulgarity, yet without being offensive or disparaging of either people or religion. On the contrary, it clearly accords with minds of (young) people, inspiring them to have faith in God, Jesus and the Church.