An Analysis of Word Formation of Slang Words in Benjamin Zephaniah’s Selected Songs Lyrics

Slang is the most informal form of communication in certain communities. Slang comes in different kind of varieties based on the process it form. The common user of slang is rappers, one of them is Benjamin Zephaniah. This study aims to find out the types of slang formation processes and the most common slang processes in Benjamin Zephaniah's song lyrics. There are six types of slang based on the word formation process that exist in Benjamin‟s selected song lyrics. Those are multiple processes that appear 20 times, coinage for 23 times, blending for 6 times, clipping for 6 times, back formation for 3 times, and blending for 2 times. The most common slang is coinage and multiple process. The goal of Benjamin using slang in his works is to show his identity as African-born and to show his hate against racism.