This thesis employs the tools of critical discourse analysis to describe the linguistic (and more broadly cultural) repertoires of a male Hip Hopper in the town of Athens, Georgia. Particularly, this study uses the Appraisal framework (Martin & White 2005) to explore the interpersonal meanings created within three Hip Hop texts of three different stylesfreestyle rap, trap rap, and conscious rap. In analyzing the global patterns of appraisal in these three texts, it becomes clear that positive implicit judgment is the dominant kind of meaning made in these texts, often invoked through description of actions. Informed by the findings of this study, the concluding chapter considers viable directions for future research in critical discourse analysis and critical language awareness pedagogy.
