In Adam Bradley’s “Rap poetry 101” he shows us how rap is more than just songs being sung, it is poetry; it is something that has an empowering ability to make the familiar unfamiliar.In this chapter Bradley creates a new viewpoint too rap. Bradley shows us how rap and poetry has become a very similar piece of art that should be further appreciated. In the chapter poetry 101 Bradley describes how rap is a form of public art, and how rappers have become our greatest public poets. The importance of rap as poetry is shown throughout Bradley's book as well as the evidence behind the reasons rap is poetry. Stated in Bradley's “rap poetry 101” he describes how an MC ( microphone controller) uses many of the same aspects as poets when it comes to …show more content…
writing and delivering their music. Many of the same characterics are shared between rap and poetry. Bradleys describes how rap establishes and maintains rhythmic patterns that are done so creatively. When we read poems we tend to unnaturally create our own rhythm. We find a sense of syncopation, rhyme and pattern that create a flow for the poem similarly to rap. MC’s resemble literary poets in ways most people don't even realize. Just like poets, rappers write with a beat in mind;us as readers pick up on that beat. Bradleys demonstrates how rap is an oral poetry and the history behind that saying. Walter pater who is quoted in the text by Bradley says that “ poetry aspires towards the condition of music.” Bradley states that poetry is not speech exactly and like all poetry, rap is not speech either, nor is it song, and yet it employs elements of both. Rap lyrics generally retain much of their resonance and meaning when isolated from their music. This is dependent on the fact that so much of rap’s meaning and even its sound are embedded in the language. The act of transcribing lyrics changes the listener's ability to discover familiar rhymes, as well as a new understanding for what rap really is. Adam Bradley defines rap as a small machine of words. Looking at rhymes on the page allows listeners to slow things down and give rap the close attention to language that it deserves. Although Bradley emphasizes the writing of rap lyrics,( as that which makes a rapper good) I believe that the connection with rap's audience comes through narrative not written lyrics.
Many believe that the words of a song are what makes the largest impact on viewers, but on the contrary in an article posted by hiphopdx it states that “Like any form of art, there are those that are a cut above the rest. Telling a story is an art form in itself, whether you’re recalling a story to your boys at the bar, writing songs or making movies. A true storyteller can make an average story great, and a great story unforgettable.” (J-23) As many of these songs illustrate, it isn’t just the story, it is how you tell it. putting in those small, seemingly insignificant details, which make the listener feel like they are there. It is using a metaphor that captures a situation in a way that a description could never do. The songs that are so deep you could picture it like a movie in your mind are more powerful than any words of a rap song just sung to be sung. These are the songs that are almost cinematic to listen too. These are the types of rap artists that are down to earth, true to themselves as well as their audience, and also the artists that sing for the pure enjoyment to tell stories, not to be plastered on social media or to worry about how many instagram, twitter, facebook followers they have, or how many people bought or listened to their songs …show more content…
online. In Bradley’s “Rap Poetry 101” he focuses on rap as poetry and the importance of written word.
In bradley’s story he discusses how taking the time to view the MC’s lyrics and transcribing them for yourself is most beneficial in getting a better understanding of the song. In some songs this evidence can hold true but in most songs, this is dependent on the performance and narrative told by the MC. The art of storytelling is what i hold true to being what makes a rapper good. Stated in a blog post by a student “Mostly rap music is a means of expression. It is music of the street. In their lyrics rappers express their fears for their community, the reality of their lives, and they describe both the positive and negative sides of everyday life.” When listening to rap music we get to experience the environments that the MC lived through. Most MC’s use music as a way of coping with reality, their violent and hard life. In this way they find a kind of shelter in their songs even though these songs describe their life and how hard it is. They use their music/lyrics as a means to express their feelings. When comparing rap music to other forms of music it tends to differ in many ways. Rap puts a great emphasis on words and lyrics. Rap is a form of street poetry. The emphasis on words in rap music is all due to the songs being real life
situations. As stated above Bradley puts a large emphasis on the act of transcribing lyrics. The act of transcribing lyrics changes the listener's ability to discover familiar rhymes, as well as a new understanding for what rap really is. Adam Bradley defines rap as a small machine of words. Looking at rhymes on the page allows listeners to slow things down and give rap the close attention to language that it deserves. Bradley states that transcribing rap lyrics is a small but essential skill. “By translating the lyricism that we hear into poetry that we can read, without sacrificing the specific relationship of words to music laid down by the MC’s performance. By preserving the integrity of each line in relation to the beat we give rap the respect it deserves as poetry.” as i do believe this is a key essential to understanding rap as poetry i still feel that the greatness of a rapper lies in their ability to tell a story. By taking a further look into the importance of storytelling and getting to analyse bradley's claim, as i do believe that the importance of transcribing the lyrics and the writing of lyrics is very important i feel the narrative of a rapper's song should be considered also.
In the article written by Shamontiel Vaughan entitled "Why J. Cole's '2014 Forest Hills Drive' is best rap album of the year,” the author makes a great point about artist having meaning to their music. The meaning behind J. Cole’s music consist of how the lyrics are based on his past in the state of North Carolina. Shamontiel talked about how rhyme patterns are nothing without a meaning. She explains how artist are comfortable with meaningless flows with words that shows expression that match the rhythm, but their content has basically no meaning. Most Artists rap about a bunch of nothing with a passionate flow, that at some point rappers need to tap into the true meaning of Hip-Hop, which is having flow and a message. The only true reason why I fell in love with J. Cole as an artist, is because of the fact of where he was born and raised with the support of his community. Lastly his platinum albums were so great, and he is different from any other artist.
He uses specific tone through his text his tone is meant to inform and persuade giving him creditability towards his argument. He uses pathos through his text by saying the way music makes people feel a certain way and understand the argument making it stronger, he also uses the story of his mothers death to play with the readers emotions. He uses words like ghetto, Blacks, love , soul, gangsters, etc to show persuade the audience and she if the emotions of the reader would be affected. He then brings in ethos by using creditable mentions of Fetty Wap and statistics like “At the time of this writing, “Trap Queen” is the #2 song in America. To have the #2 song in America is to hit pretty much every demographic…” To provide the audience a sense of trust with him making his argument gain power. He also includes tweets to validate his argument and create stronger support from his intended audience and giving the audience a sense of
Rap music has given me personally something to look up to. Not a role model but hope of continuing my dreams because rappers successfully made it. “For what’s money without happiness, or hard times without the people you love” is from a song called “Love Yourz” by J. Cole. He clearly understands how there is “beauty in the struggle and ugliness in the success” because he’s lived that life. Other songs such as “2Face” or “The Autograph” were instantly relatable to me because he has been through several struggles from the beginning of his childhood. Cole’s father left when he was six leaving his mother and younger brother alone. Cole became “the man of the house” but becoming a rapper is not as easy as it seems. Cole’s messages in these two songs are relative because I too, have had several issues with my mother and father creating a sense of lonesome. Hearing music like Coles helped me overcome my
Songs are one way of expressing feelings and emotion, many artist do this constantly in their music. To some it is why they make music. There are endless signs and verses that hint at many things such as problems, politics, living in racist era’s also places. I chose to focus on one main rapper and his music only. I chose to examine, review, and study a few of his songs. Kid cudi grew up in cleveland, Ohio. His father passed away when he was a young age which affected the kid ever since. He writes about living his life and having to go through many obstacles
Music can be reflection of our life experience. Each genre of music invokes different emotions and reactions in it's listeners. Rap has become a very popular genre in today's society. Is today “Gangster rap” and rappers exploiting society, introducing drugs and instigating violence? In the mid-1980s Gangster rap came to be portray images of violence, guns, gangs, drugs, and sexism. By the 1990s rap music became a major part of the industry and topped the charts. As people begin to operate different things; different music was engendered and that contributed to the variety of music that we have today. This is one of the many things that makes America different but is astringently under looked by everyone. There are many types of different raps
...olka, Petr Bc., and Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel. “Black or White: Commercial Rap Music and Authenticity.” Masaryk University Faculty of Arts, Department of
Rap is about giving voice to a black community otherwise underrepresented, if not silent, in the mass media. It has always been and remains … directly connected to the streets from which it came. (144)
With poetry coming in many different styles today, writing comes easy for some. One way that poetry is written today is in the form of rap. The artist known as "J Cole" is one of the best rappers of the 21st century. J Cole went double platinum with top hits such as "Wet Dreamz" and "Love Yourz". In both of these songs Cole connects the listener's with relatable stories and scenarios. Both of these songs are forms of poetry somehow.
Rap is regional, much like dialects. Different parts of the nation live in different manners. Every regional has its own story to tell, so in rap a song should tell the story of its region. Whenever a group of people is locked within the margins of American social discourse, that community may find it necessary to scream or chant or rap to be heard. It should come as no surprise, then, that alienation serves to be the medium for counter-cultural movements. Discontentment is only the beginning. Each region should have its on flare, its on personality.
Throughout American history there has always been some form of verbal acrobatics or jousting involving rhymes within the Afro-American community. Signifying, testifying, shining of the Titanic, the Dozens, school yard rhymes, prison ?jail house? rhymes and double Dutch jump rope rhymes, are some of the names and ways that various forms of raps have manifested. Modern day rap music finds its immediate roots in the toasting and dub talk over elements of reggae music (George, 1998)....
Rap has been around since 1973, when Kool DJ Herc introduced this new mash of jazz, soul, gospel, and reggae. This culture has been focused around African Americans, and since has served as a voice for the underrepresented, that is spreading violence, alcohol, and drugs. In this genre the most popular and successful boast about who has murdered more foes as breezily as other artists sing about love. Rap music tells stories of drugs, violence, and alcohol. The youth of America is constantly exposed to this kind of music, and our teenagers are being desensitized to the effects of these stories.
Eminem, as well as many other rappers, frequently incorporate poetry into their music in order to create a unique form of rap. Not only do Eminem and these other rappers aim to entertain their fans, but their unique style of blending rap music and poetry “provides a significant form of education for adolescents, one that extends beyond the classroom and into their peer group circles”(Powell 245). These artists combine these two styles in order to send a positive message to youth experiencing poverty-stricken lifestyle in certain areas in America. The “rap lyrics concentrate primarily on the contemporary African American experience” (Powell 245). In this particular song, Eminem aims to empower and encourage individuals to take a chance on their dreams and essentially “lose themselves” in the moment. The rapper aims to inspire his audience with lines “you only get one shot do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo…” (Eminem 27-28). He motivates his audience to take chances in life because they may never come again. If one does not take a cha...
Have you ever wondered what was making that horrible racket coming from a teen’s car. The odds are that it would be some type of rap song, yet the beat was too loud for you to hear the lyrics. Based off what the mass knows about rap music, you were lucky to not hear the lyrics right, wrong. Rap lyrics have many senses of great poetry and life lessons that should be heard. At least some of rap songs relate to struggles, deaths they have suffered, or even respect of women that many do not believe that rappers would ever do. Rap music is becoming increasingly meaningful for not only adults but for older youth as well to comprehend about respect and an improved understanding of life with struggles and oppressions.
“I know for a fact who the greatest rapper of all time is,” says the devoted hip-hop fans like myself. Although the rap game has many talented artists, the greatest of all time is one who’s touches my spirit in many ways. Rap is extremely misunderstood, It’s the art of storytelling but has a reputation of being a form of music that symbolizes violence. As a fan, I know there’s more to it than meets the eye, or should I say meets the ear.
Dixon, Travis L., TaKeshia Brooks. “Rap Music and Rap Audiences: Controversial Themes, Psychological Effects and Political Resistance.” Perspectives. 7 April 2009. .