Moolah, opps e shawty nel bando: gli anglicismi nella trap italiana

This paper investigates the complex phenomenon of lexical choices and linguistic hybridism in Italian trap music produced by artists belonging to ‘Gen Z’ (the generation born between 1997 and 2012). A detailed account is provided of the Anglicisms used in a sample of popular Italian trap lyrics released between 2019 and 2023. The analysis reveals that the vast majority of the Anglicisms employed by Italian trappers belong to four main semantic spheres: street life, money, drugs and affection. The use of Anglicisms appears to be linked to different reasons and purposes: the intention of emulating American slang, the influence of digital language, the ease of creating assonances and rhymes on syncopated rhythms, and the ambition to reach a larger and international audience.