Linguistics, cognitive science and sociology content creator Zay Dupree joins Nana on Baseline to unpack the Black American roots of so-called Gen Z slang, 'blaccents,' and the richness of African American Vernacular English (AAVE).

Zay explains why white people and non‑Black people of colour adopt blaccents to profit from Black American music and culture, gain social capital, and participate in an exploitative relationship with Black American cultural production. They explore how this extraction connects to minstrelsy, enslavement, and harmful stereotypes about Black American people.

Zay also breaks down the deep linguistic history of AAVE, its regional variations and its defining linguistic features — tracing its influence across global pop culture, from K‑pop to rap. Nana and Zay unpack how so‑called 'Gen Z' slang such as 'woke,' 'slay,”' '6–7,' and many more originate in Black American and queer communities, and how the erasure of these origins continues the pattern of extraction from Black American culture. Zay also shares what inspired them to study linguistics and sociology and to educate others on these topics.

Keep up with Zay on Tik Tok and Youtube!