From Bul Faale to Y’en a marre: a Semiotic Analysis of the Discursive Mutations of Senegalese Hip-hop

From Bul faale (don’t worry, don’t give a damn) in the early 90s to Y’en a marre (Fed up) in the early2010s, Senegalese hip-hop has negotiated and secured diverse identity formulations as well as social and political positionalities. Though basically aware and committed to social justice, the movement has operated mutations and ruptures and taken new orientations whenever necessary. Considering the direct impact and permanent interaction of hip-hop with societies, this article uses semiotics to study that interface through the mutations of the discourses of Senegalese hip-hop for a quarter of a century. The semiotic analysis of lyrics and signs pertaining to the movement give insight to the constant reconfiguration responding to dynamics and paradigm shifts inside and outside hip-hop.