‘That shit is just HIP-HOP!’ is how writer Soortkill characterises the popular local youth language ‘Smibanese’. Soortkill is one of the members of SMIB, a trendy Amsterdam hip-hop art collective... Show more‘That shit is just HIP-HOP!’ is how writer Soortkill characterises the popular local youth language ‘Smibanese’. Soortkill is one of the members of SMIB, a trendy Amsterdam hip-hop art collective that uses this self-named and self-claimed local youth language in their hip-hop-inspired art performances. SMIB, founded in 2014 by artists Ray Fuego and GRGY, currently consists of multiple artists who produce a wide range of hip-hop art, ranging from music to fashion, podcasts, and even books, reaching a national audience with their locally oriented stories. The collective has played a crucial part in the spread of ‘Smibanese’ all over the Netherlands, both through their extensive usage of it in their hip-hop oeuvre (including lyrics, music videos and social media posts) and through their documentation of the local youth language in their two publications of the Smibanese Woordenboek (Smibanese Dictionary, 2017 and 2019). (...) While the link between hip-hop, language, and representation has been studied extensively, there is a growing interest in the ways hip-hop performers actively use local linguistic sources (such as Smibanese) to style their local identities and stories. Coming from a history of research into specifically contemporary Dutch hip-hop and identity practices, I would like to narrow these broad research focuses down to hip-hop artists’ linguistic praxes in the Dutch context. Drawing on SMIB’s rap/hip-hop music as a case study, I aim to answer how the hip-hop artists use the local youth language variety Smibanese to represent themselves, their local environment, and their local (imagined) community. Show less
Dutch youth have been hard to enthuse for literature and reading in recent years, both in private and educational settings. At the same time, however, they are highly attracted to (primarily Dutch... Show moreDutch youth have been hard to enthuse for literature and reading in recent years, both in private and educational settings. At the same time, however, they are highly attracted to (primarily Dutch-spoken) rap, an originally US-American music genre with literary features. In the US, elements of rap and its accompanying hip-hop culture are fruitfully integrated into literature classes to enthuse youth for reading. The combination of hip-hop’s popularity and its intercultural, literary, and educative potential opens up possibilities for a similar implementation of hip-hop in a Dutch context. However, although many teachers are open to trying this, they often lack the prior knowledge to get started. In this article, I present four preparatory ‘lessons to learn’ to help teachers use hip-hop in the literary classroom. These lessons concern hip-hop’s literary qualities, hip-hop-inspired teaching attitudes, and new perspectives on the challenging language and topics of the genre. Show less
With peak numbers on Spotify and doing well on the charts, Dutch rap/hip hop music has captured the attention of Dutch audiences in recent years. Its current commercial success and immense... Show moreWith peak numbers on Spotify and doing well on the charts, Dutch rap/hip hop music has captured the attention of Dutch audiences in recent years. Its current commercial success and immense popularity have sparked academic interest, resulting in studies that analyse Dutch Neerlandophone rap/hip hop music in the local context of the Netherlands ‐ paying attention to its specific political and cultural characteristics. In this review article, the author outlines the current state of Dutch hip hop studies, identifying its prominent research themes. By uniting the research field on paper, the author aims to permanently put it on the map and encourage further hip hop research in the Dutch context in the future. Show less
Hiphop is tegenwoordig de dominante jeugdcultuur in Nederland. Vooral de Nederlandstalige variant van hiphop is razend populair en weet een massale hoeveelheid jongeren met verschillende... Show moreHiphop is tegenwoordig de dominante jeugdcultuur in Nederland. Vooral de Nederlandstalige variant van hiphop is razend populair en weet een massale hoeveelheid jongeren met verschillende achtergronden aan te spreken, anders dan de bibliotheek en ‘de literatuur’, die er al een tijd maar moeilijk in slagen om jonge lezers te trekken. Om die reden zetten bibliotheken, maar ook andere literaire instituties, hiphop in om jongeren kennis te laten maken met literatuur en hen aan het lezen te krijgen. Hiphop leent zich daar, als kunstig spel met taal dat allerlei literaire elementen in zich draagt, uitstekend voor. In dit artikel verken ik hoe hiphop een brug kan vormen tot literatuur (fictie en non-fictie) en betoog ik dat hiphop een opzichzelfstaand, waardevol onderdeel van de literaire traditie is. Ten slotte bepleit ik de noodzaak van verder onderzoek naar de mogelijkheden van hiphop voor het leesgedrag en de literaire consumptie van Nederlandse jongeren. Show less
Ondanks de immense populariteit van hiphop – zowel in binnen- als buitenland – staat de academische bestudering ervan nog in haar kinderschoenen Ook binnen de Nederlandse literatuurwetenschap is de... Show moreOndanks de immense populariteit van hiphop – zowel in binnen- als buitenland – staat de academische bestudering ervan nog in haar kinderschoenen Ook binnen de Nederlandse literatuurwetenschap is de Nederlandse hiphop een nog amper verkend onderzoeksgebied. In dit artikel wil Aafje de Roest een voorzet geven voor een bredere bestudering, in het veld dat zij de ‘Nederhopstudies’ noemt. Ze begint haar historisch overzicht in de jaren tachtig, toen hiphop zijn intrede deed binnen de Amerikaanse academie, en analyseert hoe de discipline ook in Nederland langzaamaan voet aan de grond kreeg. De Roest, die zich in haar promotieonderzoek richt op het gebruik van hiphop als cultuuruiting onder Nederlandse jongeren, constateert een groot potentieel voor meer onderzoek. Show less
