Lexical and Stylistic Features of the English Battle Rap

his master dissertation is devoted to the study of lexical and stylistic features of the English battle rap. The aim of the paper is to characterize the usage peculiarities of lexical and stylistic features in English rap discourse. The subject matter is the functioning of lexical-stylistic means in published rap battles. The material of the thesis is presented in the form of video and scripts selected with the help of the continuous sampling method. The research part of the master's thesis reveals theoretical aspects of the phenomenon of rap-battles, its origin and formation, features of functioning. The phenomenon of rap-battles in this work is examined from linguocultural point of view; general characteristics of the rap discourse are covered and linguo-pragmatic analysis of the rap lyrics is conducted. In the practical part the most frequently used units of the rap discourse, precedent phenomena and idioms are analyzed. This chapter also explores the use of obscene language and highlights the prevailing lexical and stylistic means by employing the quantitative analysis method. The results of the study revealed the types of units most often used by the rap battle participants for creating a successful text, and defined lexical and stylistic means which influence the ability of rap battles to perform their functions.