The name of the Urban Dictionary is wagwan in a mandem.
It is possible to say What's going on.Jamaican English is used throughout the Jamaican diaspora and especially in South London.
Jamaican English makes a greeting.as Wat a gwaan?In the Jamaican diaspora, wah gwan or wagwan has been reduced to Wat a gwaan.
The arrival of Jamaican immigrants in London in the 1980s was associated with Jamaican diaspora street culture there.It has been picked up by white people, leading to the term usage appropriation.Some people, like British-Jamaican rapper and MC 'Big Narstie' Lindo, think that the use shows the influence of Jamaican culture on London more generally.Even a generous Big Narstie admitted that it annoyed him when people from "the country" used wagwan, since they couldn't claim to be part of the "ghetto culture."
During a speech at the University of the West Indies in 2015, former President Barack Obama greeted the Jamaican people by saying, "Greetings, massive."The clip of his opening was used by DJs all over the island.
What's up? is a casual greetings like that.What is happening?A usual response to wagwan is not much.Small talk is universal, no matter how you say it.
It is possible to use wagwan within a statement rather than just a stand-alone greeting.I don't know if wagwan is on the show.
The expression wagwan pops up a lot in grime music, a type of electronic dance music emerging in the early 2000s in London by artists of diverse background.It is found in a lot of hip-hop lyrics.Hip-hop's popularity spread around the world after it started in London.
Americans have found wagwan confusing and think it's a word for "dwelling." Context quickly stretches the imagination.It is possible to interpret wagwan as wigwam in this line from American rapper Joyner Lucas.