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Authenticating Subcultural Identities

African American and Jamaican English in Niche Media

University of Antwerp

This article discusses the hybrid language practices of presenters of hip-hop and reggae programs in Flemish niche media. A qualitative linguistic analysis shows that different varieties of English are employed depending on the particular subcultural affiliation of these programs. In-depth interviews with presenters reveal that in using African American and Jamaican English, they authenticate their subcultural membership vis-à-vis their listeners. It is concluded that by mixing these varieties with standard American English and Dutch, presenters exemplify an adherence to a "hybrid authenticity," in which the global (subcultural) and the local are creatively fused.

Key Words: subcultures • niche media • African American English • Jamaican patois • authenticity

This version was published on January 1, 2009

Journal of Communication Inquiry, Vol. 33, No. 1, 43-57 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0196859908324705


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