London 'Blackspeak' and 'Black' Grime/Rap Music

I think OP is well aware that most areas and social groups/age groups have their own versions of slang. It's just that the specific one he is referring to sounds like a pack of chimpanzees in London Zoo.

The reason people who use excessive amounts of slang in every sentence get a bad name is because they're, let's be frank, not speaking English properly, despite their ability to. People who use excessive amounts of slang slowly become used to it and use it in everyday situations, this makes communication more difficult for people who aren't familiar with their slang.

Who here detests the stereotypical London 'Blackspeak', that stereotypical accent that pervades many black boys and girls in London from about ten years old to their early twenties?

Of course I generalise here, but this irritating accent has now become a signature label for young black people - one can simply hop on a bus at 3.30pm in an area with a large black population and see the groups of young black kids speaking in this low manner with all sorts of slangs and many even playing all of this 'cool' Grime music (mostly dotted with Black 'artists'). (If you can't do this experiment, just watch something like 'My Murder' on BBC 3 or Adulthood/Kidulthood.)

And the Grime/Rap music (British) is also part of this debilitating culture. It further fuels a materialist culture and turns the young peoples' brains into mush. I have a cousin who is being slowly degraded to this low place in life; squandering his money on Nike trainers and his accent has considerably degraded yet he attends a Grammar but it seems to me that he feels the need to be 'Black' (as it were) and he dresses in the 'street' fashion and speaks in such a manner.

Does this culture not degrade the image of young black people?

(Seriously, just hop on a London bus shortly after school closing times and you'll see...)

So if you use lots of slang...you forget how to formally use the English language?

The reason people who use excessive amounts of slang in every sentence get a bad name is because they're, let's be frank, not speaking English properly, despite their ability to. People who use excessive amounts of slang slowly become used to it and use it in everyday situations, this makes communication more difficult for people who aren't familiar with their slang.

No, you just become used to using slang so much that you might eventually start to use it with people who don't know what the hell you're talking about without you actually thinking.

I wouldn't say it's just Black people who talk in this sort of slang, I've also noticed ever increasing numbers of White and Asian youths talking in this way.

I live in North London and half the people speaking in slang aren't even black. Anything perceived as "bad culture" by whites just HAS to be a black thing. It's not even bad culture, there's nothing wrong with slang.

Well you can't say, it’s 'not speaking English properly'. When the language English itself has been through many many many transitions. From Icelandic English, to Anglo-Saxon etc. And with the influence of many countries i.e. France, India, German, Sweden etc. That is how I just see it now. Certain immigrants come and manipulate the language, and add in some new terminology. England is a developing country, there is bound to be change, the only problem are the people within it, who find 'change' difficult to adjust to, and think 'change' is bad.

Nope I disagree with you there, I know from the people around me, which are able to put their 'educational face' on and off, whenever they want to. Even me, when I get an important phone call, I automatically, with no intention, put my 'phone voice' on.
I think it’s very important to adjust yourself, to the pragmatics of situations. Everyone does this i.e. when talking to a child you’d talk using more simple vocabulary.
So stop being so worried that in an interview you might be like ‘I want the job init’
You’re not! You’re changing yourself to conform to the rest of the society. Even though it’s something I don’t particular find plausible, I do somewhat see it as the best option to follow, as you can get farther in life by following the norm.

Haven't heard anyone say 'you get me' in about 7 years

that's because majority of people now say alie

@ OP,

You gotta be careful hear.

I think a clever person, knows when to use the "London Slang" ie at 3.30pm on the bus after school.

Vs Speaking formally for a job interview.

All of it is really about being able to relate "on a level" with all kinds of people...

Although I know "what you are saying" (this is london slang). The problem is more a lack of education...