Linguistic Deviances as Stylistic Resources in the Nigerian Music Industry: A Semiotic Analysis of Adeleke’s “Funds” and Apata’s “Hustle”

This study examined linguistic deviances (LDs) as stylistic resources in the Nigerian music industry, through a semiotic analysis of Adeleke’s “Funds” and Apata’s “Hustle”. Linguistic deviance, a hallmark of creative language use in artistic expression, is explored here as a deliberate semiotic act that encodes cultural, ideological, and socio-economic meanings within the contemporary Nigerian popular music. A qualitative research design was adopted in the analysis of the selected songs. The study draws from Barthes’ semiotic theory of denotation, connotation, and myth, as well as Leech and Short’s stylistics theory as frameworks for unpacking how deviation from linguistic norms constructs stylistic identity and social commentary. Findings from the study showed that LDs in both songs transcend mere artistic play; they index resistance to linguistic hegemony, assert sociolectal authenticity, and project the artists’ personae as voices of economic struggle and self-affirmation. The results further showed that LDs are deliberate strategies that enhance rhythm, meaning, and cultural identity. The use of code-switching by the artists fosters hybridity, slang, and neologisms that reflect youth culture, while NPE ensures inclusiveness. Repetition and phonological stylization are also found to strengthen emphasis and musicality. The study, while concluding that LDs are powerful stylistic and semiotic devices that enrich Nigerian music, negotiate cultural identity, and index the lived realities of the youth, recommends that further research be conducted across other artists and genres, as well as the documentation of emerging linguistic innovations in other African music. This study has implications for theoretical studies and contributes to the growing body of scholarship at the intersection of stylistics, semiotics, and sociolinguistics, highlighting how popular music mediates between local linguistic practices and global stylistic trends.