Music and Social Protest: A Content Analysis of Selected Nigerian Hip-Hop Lyrics from 2020 to 2024

This study conducts a content analysis of social protest themes in selected Nigerian Hip-Hop lyrics from 2020 to 2024, examining how artists use music as a medium for political commentary, youth mobilisation, and critique of governance failures. The EndSARS movement of October 2020 marked a watershed moment in Nigerian youth activism and produced a significant body of protest music that continues to influence contemporary Hip-Hop discourse. This research analyses lyrics from 25 purposively selected Hip-Hop tracks released by Nigerian artists between 2020 and 2024, focusing on themes of police brutality, corruption, inequality, and democratic accountability. The theoretical framework draws on protest music scholarship, cultural resistance theory, and recent African popular music studies. A systematic content analysis framework is applied, coding lyrics for thematic categories, linguistic strategies, and targets of critique. The study also explores how streaming platforms and social media amplified protest music during and after the EndSARS period. Findings will map the evolution of socio-political consciousness in Nigerian Hip-Hop and assess the genre's capacity to sustain long-term advocacy beyond immediate protest moments. This research contributes to musicology, political communication, and youth studies in contemporary Nigeria. Keywords: Nigerian Hip-Hop, protest music, content analysis, EndSARS, social commentary.