So I was thinking again. Yes. Thinking. And I came up with this theory that actually isn't too crazy:
Hip-Hop is the modern form of Shakespearean wit.
By this I mean, Hip-Hop makes use of clever word play and rhyme to convey a message. While the message is not always profound, creative use of language is widely respected and adds to the meaning of the music. My most obvious example is, of course, "Yada Yada Yada" by Tech N9ne (and many of his other songs as well). The most respected rappers (artistically) are those who create sharp-witted rythmic rhyme, such as Mos Def, Black Thought (The Roots), Slug (Atmosphere), Tupac, and the Notorious B.I.G., to name a few.
So yeah, I was thinking about that earlier. Instead of packing.
Consider this specific bit of lyrical madness from Yada Yada Yada:
ReplyDelete"Who kept short nitty from killin you? Me.
Who kept Dyamund from drillin' you? Me.
Who kept villain niggas from vill dealin' you? Me.
So now you can take away me and keep on talking
Crazy and I'ma let em know where you
Keep yo baby and where you stay, D."
That's a threat to Don Juan. And that's fucking sweet.
Byron wrote Don Juan and dissed a lot of poets in his works. Therefore, modern hip-hop also reflects the hostilities that other poets felt for each other. I had a quote but I don;t feel like blogging it.
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