Over the past several years, hip-hop’s/music standing has been tumbling. Crestless of the genre often arguably point at the extreme cursing, degradation of women, and adoration of the “gangs” lifestyle as major flaw in rap songwriting. However, it is important that these characteristics only describe a small section of hip-hop. Most rap songs are actually very poetic, as they feature the rhythms and verses, poetic devices, and themes that are crucial elements of traditional poetry. Many rappers use the rhythms and rhyme schemes that are characteristic of poetry in their songwriting.
Today’s generation expresses of love, death, self-expression, personal, political, and social Issues, poverty and riches, and life Involvements. They entwine these thoughts artistically and creatively within strong rhythms and captivating tunes that capture the minds of the listener. The mind-set of today’s adolescence can be found within the lyrics of the music that they listen to. Both rappers and poets write about the same subjects. For example the rap unit NNW, and the poet Alice Walker, both talk about the topic of being from a compression race.
Alice Walker writes In one of her poems that “there Is no planet trainer than the one Im from”. What she is saying is that the world is strange because people judge others by their skin color. The method NNW takes is a more arrogant one, but still expressive. In one of there most notorious the songs “Buck That Police”, NNW says ” Young enigma got it bad cue IM brown, And not the other color so police think, they have the authority to kill a minority. Another common subject between poets and rappers Is “ghetto life”.
Allot of African American rapper and poets come from a life of struggle that they channel Into their writing and poetry. When it comes to poets and rappers, the biggest similarities are their appeal to transfer a message. The substance may different, but the need to induce an emotional response is the same. It’s naturally focused by their view of the world or society and craving to show their point-of-view. There is repeatedly the use of metaphors In poetry and rap to express their message and some are written that allows readers or listeners to make their own analysis.
Song and poetry, They both express emotions or a message In some way, And they both use a very similar method. The difference between rap and poetry is really just the message and the hype off message. You will never here Shakespeare talking about “pitches and hoes” and you will never hear a song from Outpace about “comparing thee to a summers day”. So really, there is no difference between the two beside the content. At times music Is viewed adversely because of the strong language and Ideas.
Nevertheless, there is a message fixed within that gives voice to the brilliance’s and troubles of the surrounding society and community in where we live. The musicians of today reproduce and repeat the works of famous legendary poets past and present mentioning on some of the same political and social issues that are still applicable today. Once these poetic pieces are researched and explored, any one can determine whether the message Is relevant and effects change, good or bad, for the poetry that reflects their personal thoughts and thoughts and beliefs of their generation, which is what’s being done in today’s music.
This has been done perfectly by Accomplished Rappers such as Public Enemy, Lauren Hill, Queen Latish and Outpace Shaker. Almost every rapper puts his soul into his work. They rap about their own original verses with their own style and they say it with passion that connects with audience. Most rappers freestyles and songs are unique, but some take lyrics from other artist so not all rap/hip hop is creative. Rap/Hip Hop is a Poetic art form that came up on new York street corners and ghettos, to what it is now.
Most old school raps were Just poetry with a beat behind it that gave it a flow. Just people Talking about their lives, properties, loves, hobbies, and of course its evolved into Just raw emotion and whatever was on their minds. Some people use it to write down their genuine secrets or desires, instead of Just keeping them inside, or to let out some form of emotion like eve for one another, love for a woman, anger, heartbreak, this showed who those people really are/ or who they want to be, dreams of being larger than life.
To Some people poetry is an expression of a dream that is condensed in a method comprehensible and enjoyable to others and so likely to arouse close emotions. For others it’s a written expression of emotion or ideas in an arrangement of verses most often rhythmically. How can hip hop not be reflected as poetry? Beat, rhymes, metaphors, similes, economical use of language to get a point across. All poetic devices, all used in hip hop. Some of the famous poet Robert Burns most well loved poems were originally written as songs, but they’re still loved as poems.