Afro hip hop in contemporary Nigeria: stimulating alternative social identities among young fans

Abstract

This essay explores hip hop trends and their uninhibited stimulation of alternative social identities among young fans in contemporary Nigeria. This is an aspect that has not received much scholarly attention, and we believe that investigating it will deepen existing knowledge of Afro hip hop discourses. Audiovisual content of hip hop, accessed mainly through electronic broadcasting, DVDs, mobile applications and social media platforms used by fans in constructing alternative social identities, is critical to the discourse on social identity, fandom and alternative identity theories. We argue that parasocial interactions with Afro hip hop figures in contemporary Nigeria facilitate fans’ deliberate construction of alternative social identities as a mode of social acceptance, self-presentation and protest against dominant socio-cultural norms. The study links certain behavioural patterns, such as alternative hair and dress codes, and an increased desire for conspicuous displays of wealth among young fans in Nigeria to the media culture of hip hop.