Rytm schowany w tekście. Adam „Łona” Zieliński i kultura popularna

Electronic version of the publication available under CC BY-SA 4.0 license after 12 months from the date of release: December 2023

Adam Zieliński’s work deserves academic interest since he is a significant figure in contemporary activism, and because the poetics, philosophy and the rhyming art of the rapper from Szczecin are worth a more detailed critical examination. A rhyme both differentiates words and connects them. It implies they are alike both in sound but also in meaning. After all, it is not just about the pleasure of reading and listening. As the artist explores the rhymes, he demonstrate the diversity of language (although there are still those listeners, who notice mainly swearing in his songs). It is the innovation of word combinations used by Adam Zieliński that is his distinctive contribution to literary culture. Let us emphasise this further – it is not only about the aesthetics. Łona reveals, somewhat in passing, the mechanisms that rule over language. He uncovers how the word ‘works’. In so doing, he teaches us about Polish language and its social flexibility. Above all, he helps us differentiate expressive and communicative speech from mumbling. Our book is occasioned by an anniversary: the rapper’s birthday has inspired us to approach his work creatively and critically. The artistic and scholarly community and the citizens of Szczecin owe a great deal to Adam Zieliński’s artistic achievements and social activism. Thus, we have succeeded in inviting representatives of several institutes from University of Szczecin (these include Institute of Linguistics, Institute of Literature and New Media, Institute of Sociology, Institute of Theology and Institute of History) and important academic and cultural institutions (Książnica Pomorska and The National Museum in Szczecin) to celebrate Łona’s jubilee. The book is divided into three sections: Poetics, Contexts, and Appendix. In the first part (Poetics), we analyse Łona’s lyrics and songs with a look at the significance of the rapper’s public actions. We are convinced that the magnitude of our subject’s artistic achievements requires further consideration. Therefore, in the second part of the book (Contexts), we deliberate on American counterculture, contemporary war songs, present-day Polish language, post-secularism, the media status of rap, etc. The analytical sketches are complemented by an interview with the rapper and a compilation of the artist’s discography (Appendix).