COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRAGMATIC AND DISCOURSE FEATURES IN OMAH LAY'S "REASON" AND MOHBAD'S "FEEL GOOD"

Abstract

Hip-hop, a global cultural and social phenomenon, serves as a vital platform for expressing socio-political issues and personal experiences. Despite its significance, there is a paucity of empirical research exploring the pragmatic and discursive dimensions of hip-hop lyrics. This study examines the pragmatic acts and discursive features of contemporary hip-hop lyrics, focusing on Omah Lay's "Reason" and Mohbad's "Feel Good," through the dual lenses of Norman Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Jacob L. Mey's Pragmatic Act Theory (PAT). The aim of this study is to uncover the socio-cultural implications of language use in hip-hop music by analysing the linguistic features, speech acts, and discursive practices employed by the artists. A purposive sampling method was used to select the songs based on their popularity, cultural relevance, and thematic depth. The data was collected from online music platforms, official artist websites, and reputable music databases. The study reveals that both songs use colloquial language, slang, and code-switching, enhancing authenticity and relatability. Repetitive structures and rhetorical devices like anaphora and epistrophe are prominent, contributing to the emotional impact and memorability of the lyrics. Pragmatic acts features identified include voice (VCE), inference (INF), reference (REF), metaphor (MPH), shared situational knowledge (SSK), and metapragmatic Joker (MPJ) each serving distinct communicative functions. Through CDA, the study uncovers how the lyrics reflect and challenge socio-cultural norms and power dynamics. Both songs highlight broader societal issues such as mental health, economic challenges, and the search for identity. The findings demonstrate the value of integrating CDA and PAT in the analysis of hip-hop lyrics, offering insights into the linguistic, pragmatic, and discursive dimensions of contemporary music. This interdisciplinary approach enriches our understanding of how hip-hop artists use language to construct meaning, convey messages, and shape social realities, contributing to the broader discourse on music and culture. This paper concludes that the complex interplay between language, culture, and identity in contemporary music discourse, enriching our understanding of hip-hop as a form of artistic expression and cultural resistance.