(Scholars Middle East Publishers, 2017) Adedeji, Wale
Identity is an integral part of human existence and as a cognitive phenomenon it is regarded as a basis for selfrealisation
and actualisation. Popular culture is an important conduit through which identity can be formulated and
expressed. Music on the other hand as an expressive art is a major appendage of popular culture and a fertile ground for
identity negotiation and formulation, in this instance through language use. This paper investigates the music- Hip hop,
the language- Yoruba and examines how the artiste- Ruggedman employs the use of the mother-tongue while exploiting
the general acceptability of the Yoruba language to popularise hip hop music in Nigeria .The research argues that,
through the artiste‟s Yoruba linguistic affiliation he is able to formulate a national identity with a language not his own in
a country where there is an overt subscription to ethnic loyalty rather that national.