Hip Hop : Knowledge, Language Development and Enjoyable Learning

The purpose of this study is to investigate the educational opportunities that exist within hip hop music, i.e. to highlight the possible strengths and opportunities in informal learning. The aim was to answer the following questions: In what way do young people acquire knowledge through music? How can hip hop music affect language learning / vocabulary? How can hip hop motivate and support young people in school? The study was based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with six youths, three hip hop directors and a well-known researcher who has investigated that Hip Hop pedagogy. The results show that there are many benefits of learning that takes place in the context of hip hop music; from my informants’ statements one can accordingly see the role of hip hop music plays in the absorption of knowledge. The conclusion is that hip hop music can lead to alternative learning about politics and society, as the music often deals with various social conditions and policy issues. This I have been able to deduce from my informants' statements where they through hip hop creation gain knowledge, partly by listening to hip hop music and partly by writing hip hop lyrics which in its turn developed their political thinking. I have also come to the conclusion that young people through hip hop creation expand their vocabulary, developing their ability to express themselves in different ways during the composition of hip hop lyrics. It also shows that young people become motivated for school work. This is because hip hop stimulate young people in becoming more interested in the Swedish language, given that many write their hip hop lyrics in Swedish