True hip-hop artists will keep their fans on their feet. No one wants to dance and rap along to lyrics that are typical. When artists such as The Notorious B.I.G. hit the scene, hip-hop fans had never witnessed with their own two ears, or even their eyes, what was taking place. It was a whole new form of hip-hop.
It is more like poetry. Wordplay gives the lyrics color and emotional value. It crosses the barriers and has no limits. The explicit lyrics are something to definitely catch a listener's attention. However, instead of questioning these lyrics in a negative way, why don't we look further into them. William Jelani Cobb phrases hip-hop as an art formed from the "shunned expressions of disposable people." While analyzing lyrics, it is seen that hip-hop was created to relate to one another. It came together to speak to a new generation by re-creating its original language. Much emotion, thought and time is put into these lyrics.
Lil Wayne is a rap genius from New Orleans, LA. Aside from the awesome beats and introductions he uses, his music truly comes alive. It is brought out through the lyrics he is professing. His use of metaphors, similes and puns throughout his songs reshapes our imagination.
"Mind so sharp, I fuck around and cut my head off" -6 Foot 7 Foot, Lil Wayne
"Man I got summer hatin' on me cause I'm hotter than the sun
Got spring hatin' on me cause I ain't never sprung
Winter hatin' on me cause I'm colder than y'all
And I would never, I would never, I would never fall
I'm bein' hated by the seasons
So fuck you, hatin' for no reason!" -Mr. Carter, Lil Wayne (feat. Jay-Z)
Wordplay is an extremely important part of hip-hop, and other genres of music, because it makes the familiar unfamiliar. It brings our souls and minds to a new level.
I agree that lyricism and wordplay is very important in hip hop and i also agree that hip hop is a form of poetry. I also like the example you gave of Lil Wayne and his lyrics.
ReplyDeleteLil Wayne is a great example to give! And yes hip hop artists always like to keep listeners on their feet, another example would be Kendrick Lamar.
ReplyDeleteBiggie can definitely be can considered an icon for introducing level of talent associated with rapping and hip hop. I enjoyed the examples you used and the lyrics you had quoted by Lil Wayne.
ReplyDeleteI would argue that the lyrics are the most important aspect of a song, although not as important as they used to be. Lyricist now are somewhat becoming rare, but I liked how you used a current rapper like Lil Wayne.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you used biggie as an example, I think other rappers like Nas or Kendrick Lamar could be worth mentioning when discussing lyrical rappers. Like you said, lyrics aren't the most important part of hip hop anymore, now there is a lot more focus on the beat than there used to be, but truly good lyrics are still appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI like the Lil Wayne example you put in. Also like the point that no one likes to dance to a dull song that isn't lyrically sound
ReplyDeleteI'll begin with saying I loved when you said, "Wordplay gives the lyrics color and emotional value. It crosses the barriers and has no limits." How you parsed what wordplay was couldn't have been said any better. I also enjoyed your use of Lil Wanye as the example, I feel so many people don't think he's truly talented, when all his songs are spewing metaphors and similes i didn't even expect.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think lyrics are the most important aspect of all music, but I especially think this is true for hip-hop. Unfortunately, I think the genre has become less lyrically based than it used to be. And although I'm not a big fan of Lil Wayne, I can't deny that he's talented when it comes to wordplay.
ReplyDeleteI like how you mentioned lil wayne, mainly because he's a new rapper and when it comes to lyrics a lot of people think about the old school. It goes to show how lyricism is still prevalent today.
ReplyDelete