ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the reader to the study of multilingualism and hip hop as a 21st-century globalized phenomenon. It considers how the global and local spread of hip hop culture has shaped the way we study and understand in multilingualism, but in turn how hip hop as a culture practised through rap, breakdancing, beatboxing, graffiti writing, deejaying and the teaching of Knowledge of Self shapes multilingual identities, genres, discourses and practices. The chapter considers the historical formation of hip hop culture alongside the rapid transformation of technology and fluidity that has impacted on multilingualism communication. It also reviews multilingualism and hip hop studies that demonstrate how multilingualism and hip hop, almost in tandem, flow from locality to locality as part of people, objects, media and mobile signs in rural and urban areas.
