A função das metáforas conceptuais no rap nacional: expressão social e cultural de grupos marginalizados

Abstract

This study investigates the role of conceptual metaphors in the lyrics of Brazilian rap as a form of social and cultural expression for marginalized groups in Brazil. Thus, the general objective of this research is to examine how these metaphors are used to portray the experiences and realities of marginalized social groups. This investigation is grounded in Cognitive Linguistics, particularly in the theory proposed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980), as the study analyzes how these metaphors structure the artists’ thought and language, transforming experiences of oppression, violence, and inequality into discourses of resistance and identity. This is a qualitative, descriptive, and interpretative research that analyzes three songs: "Rosas" and "Enterro do Neguinho" by the group Atitude Feminina, and "Vida Loka Parte 2" by Racionais MC’s. In the analysis, we aim to identify and classify explicit and implicit metaphors, along with their respective source and target domains, highlighting how these metaphorical structures make visible the social realities experienced in urban peripheries. Examples of metaphors found in the songs include: "love as death," "blood as loss and violence," "life as a lesson," and "poverty generates sadness." We conclude that rap, through the intentional use of conceptual metaphors, serves as a medium for denunciation, resistance, and the construction of meaning, reaffirming its value as a critical and politically engaged discursive practice.