Functions Of Code Switching In Contemporary Algerian Rap Song

Abstract

The use of multilingual lyrics in contemporary rap song is a recurrent phenomenon in Algeria. If the lyrics are generally based in Algerian Arabic, the rappers saturate them with other languages. These multilingual songs are most often manifested in the form of code switching. Therefore, this investigation aims to identify the functions that code switching fulfills in song lyrics. Indeed, the analysis is mainly qualitative study. A corpus of 10 songs from five Algerian rappers are collected and analyzed, using a functional approach. The research answers the question: What are the functions of code switching in the Algerian rap song lyrics of this period? The findings reveal that the multilingual code switching is underpinned by a strategic positioning of the rappers based on the social representations that specify each language in the Algerian sociolinguistic space in particular functions and considerations.