The Creation of Identity and Culture in the Poetics of Hip Hop Alejandro L
Florida State University Libraries
Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School
2006 A Language in Transition: The Creation of Identity and Culture in the Poetics of Hip Hop Alejandro L. Nodarse
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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
A LANGUAGE IN TRANSITION: THE CREATION OF IDENTITY AND CULTURE IN THE POETICS OF HIP HOP
By
ALEJANDRO L. NODARSE
A Thesis submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts
Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2006
The members of the Committee approve the Thesis of Alejandro L. Nodarse defended on Monday, October 2, 2006.
Andrew Epstein Professor Directing Thesis
Amit Rai Committee Member
Christopher Shinn Committee Member
Approved:
Kathleen Yancey, Interim Chair, Department of English
The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members.
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Para mamá y papá, Who not only gave me my life, but theirs as well.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to thank the Almighty for his countless blessings. I would like to thank the members of my Thesis Committee, Andrew Epstein, Amit Rai, and Christopher Shinn, for all of their patience, support, guidance, interest, and advice during this process. I thank my parents, Fabio Nodarse and Dr. Maria Margarita Nodarse, my sister Victoria, my girlfriend Jeannine Nordelo, my grandparents, Ignacio Pérez, Zaida Pérez, and Marta Nodarse, my cousins Sergio Pérez, Gilbert Pérez, and Cris Pérez, my homeboy Willy Rodriguez, my friend Niles, The SouthSide (Daniel, Ryan, Dexter), and the Members of the Board (Chris, Jason, Chi, Lou, Rod) for their support as I completed this project. Last, but certainly not least, I thank my good friends and fellow scholars Jordan J. Dominy, his wife Jessica, Amber Pearson, Bailey Player, Jennifer Van Vliet, and Tara Hostetler for putting up with my rants on Hip Hop throughout this endeavor.
iv TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract ...... vi
INTRODUCTION: A LANGUAGE IN TRANSITION...... 1
1. CHAPTER 1: POETICS AND THE EMCEE ...... 10
New Poet, Old Traditions ...... 12
A Tale of Two Poets: The Emcee and the Rapper……………………….14
2. CHAPTER 2: ENGAGING THE LANGAGE……………………………25
Freestyle: Inspired Rhyme……………………………………………….26
Freestyle vs. Rehearsed Rhyme………………………………………….27
Rhymes and Reasons: The Anatomy of the Freestyle Battle………….…28
Critical of Illiterate Literacy: Oral Poetry on the Page……………….….39
Sweet Sixteen: Hip Hop’s Poetic Form……………………………….…42
Sixteen Bars: Form or Formula...... 43
New Flow for the New Emcee: The Poem in Action…………….….…...47
An Escape or A Cage: What to do with Sixteen Bars………………..…..48
3. CHAPTER 3: ENGAGING POETING CONVENTION...……………..…..50
Word Invention…………………………………………………………..51
Rewriting Rhyme………………………………………………………...51
The Art of Storytelling: Images and Narrative……………………….…..56
4. CONCLUSION………………………………………………………….…..66
ENDNOTES...... ……………………………………………………………...68
REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………….……..71
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ………………………………………………….75
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ABSTRACT
This thesis examines the way in which Hip Hop affects language, communication, and the way it reshapes meaning. The poetics of Hip Hop document variations in slang and colloquialisms and other innovations in language. Through the textual analysis of select poems, this thesis demonstrates that the emcee has a unique understanding of poetic conventions, such as rhyme, metaphor, and simile, and uses them to produce a poetry that is carving its own niche in American Literature and popular culture. Furthermore, this thesis analyzes some of the various methods that Hip Hop uses to interact with language, including the freestyling, the freestyle battle, and writing rhymes. By exploring the interaction between the poet, the word, and the world, this thesis seeks to bring to light the many contributions that Hip Hop makes to poetics and how these contributions affect not just the Hip Hop community, but the world at large.
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INTRODUCTION: LANGUAGE IN TRANSITION The ability to reinterpret and recontextualize language, meaning, words, and symbols is innate in Hip Hop. What makes this so noteworthy is the malleability and adaptability that the genre possesses in terms of its poetics. Its use of language is in a state of perpetual flux; it is constantly being rewritten. In the early 90’s, if one were to ask for Uptowns in New York, you would receive a pair of Nike sneakers. If you were to ask for Uptowns in St. Louis, you would receive a blank stare. Nike’s Air Force One’s, a staple of Hip Hop fashion, can be referred to in many ways. The same can be said for many things. For example, the term “Pimp” no longer refers specifically to a person who prostitutes women for financial gain. The more common use of the term refers to one who lives a flamboyant lifestyle and is successful with women. If some one were to ask you what size your “kicks” are, they could be referring to your shoes or the rims on your car. If you were in need of “dough”, “bread”, or “cheese”, you might go to the supermarket or to the bank, as the terms are commonly used to describe money. In the South, if you were to say, “What up, Jew?” you are asking a friend of yours how he is doing. The word “Jew” is used as a term of endearment, not a reference to the religion. In South Florida, the same word is used in two ways, one use does in fact refer to the Jewish people while the other mimics the broken English used by many Hispanics when they say the word “you”. Hip Hop poetics not only document these variations in slang or colloquialisms, but it creates them and spreads them, making the words and ideas available to those in different areas that can identify with them. Nowadays, asking for a pair of Uptowns in St. Louis is not such a ludicrous request. So what does all of this mean? What is so important about Hip Hop poetics, slang, and different ways of referring to everyday objects, events, and individuals? Now more than ever, the Hip Hop community has a large pool of resources, cultures, languages, experiences, and ideas from which to pull inspiration, motivation, and creativity. The ability to manipulate language in order to represent and describe the realities of diverse groups of people is what provides Hip Hop poetics its strength.
1 Hip Hop is in the business of “wiping soiled words or cutting them clean out, removing the aureoles that have been pasted about them or taking them bodily from greasy contexts," (Williams, "Marianne Moore" 1920). Although this quote was originally intended to describe what, in William’s estimation, Moore did to and for the English language with her poetry, the quote exemplifies what Hip Hop does to language. Hip Hop’s recreation and subsequent use of “degreased” words is what makes it one of the most influential and important poetic and musical genres. From its inception, Hip Hop has constantly been reinterpreting and reinventing language. As a result, it reinterprets itself. Hip Hop, in essence, was birthed by recontextualizing the music of others. By briefly examining Hip Hop’s formative years, its ability to assimilate and reinterpret its environment will become apparent.
A Brief History: Hip Hop Back in the Day Hip Hop’s first DJ’s manipulated the popular music of their era to create music that better reflected the mood of the crowd. The environment from which Hip Hop arose was one of limited opportunity and abundant marginality and poverty. Block parties offered an escape. Although everyday life was full of harsh realities, Hip Hop’s early DJ’s created an environment where the focus was to have a good time, dance, and listen to the music that DJ’s were creating. Tricia Rose notes that DJ’s “supplied the break beats for breakdancers and the soundtrack for graffiti crew socializing. Early DJ’s would connect their turntables and speakers to any available electrical source, including street lights, turning public parks and streets into impromptu parties and community centers” (51). DJ’s and the youth had a symbiotic relationship: DJ’s provided a place to escape and party-goers provided DJ’s with an audience to listen to their music. By extending the breaks, or sections of a song in which the music literally breaks to highlight the rhythm section, DJ’s like Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grand Master Flash recontextualized the popular music of the day, putting their own spin (pun intended) on it in order to create a form of music that was appealing to those who sought a place to detach from their everyday troubles. Throughout the ‘70’s, DJ’s in New York continued creating break beats by looping the instrumental portions of songs to extend the amount of time that was
2 danceable in order to keep their crowds moving. Soon after, the MC (Emcee), or Master of Ceremonies, would act as a hype man for the DJ, introducing his sonic creations. Until the introduction of the emcee, Hip Hop’s innovation had little to do with language. It did, however, set the stage and a precedent in terms of how emcees would interact with the crowd and with language. The introduction of the emcee is the point where Hip Hop first reinterprets itself. The emcee, whose witty introductions, use of word play, and ability to captivate and move an audience through his call and response, reinterpreted not only his place and role in Hip Hop, but how the new form of music would speak. It was not long before the emcee was the main attraction. While the graffiti artists painted and the break dancers moved to the rhythm created by the DJ, the emcee gave voice to the art form known as Hip Hop, and it was not long before the rest of the world caught on to this phenomenon. It also did not take long for emcees to compete against each other for supremacy. From its inception, Hip Hop has always been highly poetic and highly competitive. Aside from who was the best DJ, break dancer, and graffiti artist, who could entertain a crowd best with lyrical prowess and flair was a constant point of contention. Battling, Hip Hop’s original lyrical sport, pitted emcees against one another to determine who could be wittier, more spontaneous, and verbally superior. Even the cypher, or a congregation of emcees huddled to exchange verses, improvisational word play, and rhythm and flow, can become a battleground for verbal sparring (The Art of 16 Bars). Hip Hop’s use of and interaction with language has yielded some important, innovative, and noteworthy poetics. This thesis will focus on the poetic contributions made by the emcee and explore the emcee’s interaction with language. Furthermore, it is imperative that lyric-based analysis be conducted in order to explore the intricacies and detail of the emcee’s wordplay. In essence, this thesis will focus not only on the poetic that emcees produce, but how they engage and interact with language in order to reshape it. The repercussions of using language to reshape the world are just as important as understanding where Hip Hop comes from. Drawing on poetic convention, African traditions such as signifying, and poetic traditions such as call and response, emcees engage in all manner of verbal activities. In the process, the emcee was and is responsible
3 for ushering in a new era of poetics, one that was highly dependant on its orality, but just as proud of its ability to forge stories and rhymes with a pen and pad. Freestyling, or the ability to spontaneously compose and deliver an unrehearsed oral poetry, is a vehicle for those who enjoy the form’s unpredictable and reactive nature. Battling, studio recording, and the desire to speak to the rest of the world are platforms from which emcees deliver their carefully crafted, lyrically precise, and often innovative poetry. By seeking to introduce his DJ to a crowd as creatively as possible, the emcee introduced himself to the world as a poet with the eye of a journalist, the theatricality of a master raconteur, and a flair for innovation that was capable of launching a culture (The MC).
The Aftermath Hip Hop has experienced many manifestations, incarnations, and variations since the ‘70’s. The East Coast originated the form with its break beats and lyricism, the West Coast gave birth to Gangsta Rap, and the Dirty South blows up your speakers with its Crunk stylings; seemingly every musical province in the United States, as well as countless international participants, provide their own variation and reinterpretation of the original sound that was created in the Bronx in the 70’s. What separates these different styles is a complex combination poetics and sonic creation. The music and beats often vary form region to region. The colloquialisms, accent, and lyrical content often indicate where an emcee is from. However, these subgenres serve more to represent the area in which they originated rather than represent a specific emcee or producer. Because Hip Hop often assimilates and reinterprets what is available, it is not uncommon to hear an emcee New York rapping over a Southern beat. However, none of these variations and incarnations of Hip Hop would have made any strides without the ability to use language to describe the different environments and experiences. Yet the poetry of Hip Hop is sometimes overshadowed by the often violent, misogynistic, and otherwise controversial lyrical content and is drowned out by the loud sounds and pounding of the bass. Hip Hop achieves an incredible level of creativity by taking a bad political, social, and economic situation and reinventing it by rewording it in
4 order to subvert, destabilize, and challenge its enemies. By using language as a form of agency, emcees were able to use language to communicate with those who understood and identified with their message. As poets have done for years, Hip Hop takes language and forges new meanings to interpret a world that cannot be adequately explored and described with conventional language. Since there were no words to describe some of its unique, often harsh realities, Hip Hop invented them using the existing language. I contend that some Hip Hop is in fact quite poetic and that particular lyrics can be analyzed as such, but it is important to assert the fact that Hip Hop is both oral and written. Because it is highly oral, it becomes easy to overlook, and consequently discount, the poetic aspects involved with its creation. The concept of composition, in terms of lyrics, innately infers some sort of “writing”. Most emcees will compose their verses with pen and pad, while a rare few arrange them in their heads, opting not to write anything down. Furthermore, I offer a brief history of Hip Hop that explores and emphasizes how Hip Hop reinvented and recontextualized language to express the reality of individuals who could have had no other means of making their presence felt in this world; this process continues to this day. Hip Hop gave voice to thoughts that would have otherwise never made it off the block. I examine how the emcee became the new poet, detailing the conditions in which he existed and voicing his concern to an audience that shared a similar reality. However, some of Hip Hop’s biggest supporters, white teenagers, do not necessarily share the realities or upbringing of many emcees, yet they are attracted to the genre for many reasons. Tricia Rose believes that it may have to do with “white voyeuristic pleasure of black cultural imagery” (12). Imani Perry posits that “Part of the seduction of rap for mainstream America, particularly white young people, lies in its iconoclasm in relation to white American cultural norms. It is Other, it is hard, it is deviant” (136). Though Rose and Perry make valid statements, I believe that they underestimate, or at least do not fully consider, the effect that a well crafted, well- performed piece can have on an audience regardless of ethnicity. Regardless of who buys Hip Hop records, there is a definite connection between the genre and impoverished minority youths. Tricia Rose points out, “hip hop emerges
5 from the deindustrialization meltdown where social alienation, prophetic imagination, and yearning intersect. Hip hop is a cultural form that attempts to negotiate the experiences of marginalization, brutally truncated opportunity, and oppression within the cultural imperatives of African American and Caribbean history, identity, and community” (21). The ongoing process that resulted from this negotiation is a culture that creates its own opportunity, creating its own language that meant what they wanted it to mean. No longer would “bad” mean that something was not good. “Rap provided the disenfranchised youth of New York with self-valorizing and a new secret language that was created by cracking open English and stuffing it with new meaning” (Quickly 39). To better understand the extent of the “disenfranchisement” that plagued the youth in Hip Hop’s formative years is to better understand why and how the use of language became a tool to reshape their environments.
Moses led the Exodus out of the Bronx In Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, Jeff Chang does an excellent job of detailing the conditions that Hip Hop poetry seeks to reinterpret and recontextualize. According to Chang, the impoverished conditions that Hip Hop’s early emcees experienced in the Bronx was brought about by Robert Moses, a man that Chang deems “the most powerful urban builder of all time” (11). In 1953, Moses spearheaded the Cross-Bronx Expressway, a roadway that would “allow people to traverse the Bronx from the suburbs of New Jersey through upper Manhattan to the suburbs of Queens in fifteen minutes” (Chang 11). The problem with the Cross-Bronx Expressway is that it cut through 113 city streets that were inhabited by 60,000 Bronx residents. It was the treatment of the Bronx and its people during the construction that would begin the decay of the Bronx. The occupants of the “lower-middle-class apartments had been given months to relocate, with a paltry $200-per room as compensation. In the meantime, as they struggle to find new quarters in a city with few vacancies, they huddled in heatless, condemned buildings” (Chang 11). It did not seem to bother Moses that tens of thousands of people had to be uprooted. Chang quotes Moses discussing this problem nonchalantly, “There are more people in the way- that’s all. There’s very little real hardship in the thing.” The “little
6 hardship” that Moses discussed would still be felt in Hip Hop’s formative years nearly 30 years after construction began on the Cross-Bronx Expressway. The suffering brought on by Moses’ construction was not limited to the Bronx. “In Manhattan’s ghettos, using ‘urban renewal’ rights of clearance to condemn entire neighborhoods, he scared off thriving businesses and uprooted poor African-American, Puerto Rican, and Jewish families. Many had no choice but to come to places like east Brooklyn and the South Bronx, where public housing was booming but jobs has already fled” (Chang 11). As if the uprooting of tens of thousands of families were not traumatic enough, the relocation would prove to be a painful process with adverse long-term consequences. “In his grand ambitions, high modernism met maximum density. Vast housing complexes were designed on the idyllic sounding ‘tower-in-a-park’ model, a concept that had been advanced by the modernist architect Le Corbusier as part of his vision of a ‘Radiant City’. To Moses, the ‘tower-in-a-park’ model was a blackboard equation that neatly solved thorny problems- open space in an urban grid, housing for the displaced poor- with tidy cost efficiency. It also happened to support the goals of ‘slum clearance,’ business redevelopment, and the decimation of the tenants union movement” (Chang 12). The aftermath of Moses’s reconfiguration of the Bronx led to poverty and frustration for those too poor to escape; one must keep in mind that the Cross-Bronx Expressway project and its ensuing relocations took place in a pre-civil rights America. “So in the New York area’s construction explosion of the 1950s and ‘60s, middle-class whites got sprawling, prefab, white picket-fence, whites-only Levittown suburbs, while working-class strugglers and strivers got nine or more monotonous slabs of housing rising out of isolating, desolate, soon-to-be crime-ridden ‘parks’ (Chang 12). According to Chang, half on the Bronx’s white inhabitants had “followed Moses’s Cross-Bronx and Bruckner Expressways to the promise of ownership of one of the 15,000 new apartments in Moses’s Co-op City” by decade’s end (12). The Cross-Bronx Expressway gave the Bronx a botched facelift. Chang posits that “the South Bronx has lost 6000,000 manufacturing jobs; 40 percent of the sector disappeared. By the mid seventies, average per capita income had dropped to $2,430, just half of the New York City average. The official youth unemployment rate hit 60 percent
7 of the nationwide average. Youth advocates said that in some neighborhoods, the true number was closer to 80 percent. If blues cultures has developed under the conditions of oppressive, forced labor, Hip Hop culture would arise from the conditions of no work” (13). To make matters worse, “Apartment buildings passed into the hands of slum lords, who soon figured out that they could make more money by refusing to provide heat and water to the tenants, withholding property taxes from the city, and finally destroying the buildings for insurance money” (Chang 13). Chang believes that “the downward spiral created its own economy” (13). Slumlords, unemployed thugs, and insurance companies formed a triumvirate of destruction in the Bronx. Slumlords would take out insurance policies on their buildings and then hire thugs to destroy the buildings by setting fire to them. In fact, Chang states that between 1973 and 1977, “30,000 fires were set in the South Bronx alone” (13). While most simply ignored the Bronx and its troubles, some went as far as to claim that “the South Bronx represented indisputable proof that poor Blacks and Latinos were not interested in improving their lives. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, New York’s Democratic Senator, was heard to say, ‘People in the South Bronx don’t want housing or they wouldn’t burn it down (Chang 14). In 1970, Moynihan sent a memo to President Richard Nixon stating that “the time may have come to when the issue of race could benefit from a period of ‘benign neglect’” to which Nixon penciled, “I Agree” in response (Chang 14). This benign neglect would lead to “the removal of no less than seven fire companies from the Bronx after 1968. During the mid-1970s budget crisis, thousands more firefighters and fire marshals were laid off,” effectively egging on the burning of the Bronx (Chang 14). Little did politicians, slumlords, and all those who turned their back on the Bronx, know that culture would emerge, like a Phoenix, from the ashes.
8 The End of the Beginning By analyzing the poetry of Hip Hop, I seek to explore how Hip Hop has reinterpreted language and how new meaning is created. As witnessed by its place in today’s popular culture, Hip Hop provides a language, a poetry, and a culture that transcend gender, race, age, politics, cultures, time, and space. By analyzing Hip Hop’s use of poetic convention, I hope to explore the language that we can all speak.
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CHAPTER 1 POETICS AND THE EMCEE He was scheduled to appear in a small, dingy club on Florida State’s campus to lecture on the current state of Hip Hop and a series of issues he felt needed to be addressed. He would be performing at another local club later that night, but for now, KRS One was more “Teacher” and less “Blastmaster”. After much anticipation, he hit the stage in a large blue T-shirt, stonewashed jeans, and white sneakers. He had a string of large, wooden beads around his neck, a detail I noticed right away. Instead of donning Hip Hop’s customary diamond studded platinum chain with a large medallion, he opted for a more inconspicuous adornment, which ironically, made him stand out all the more. However, the irony of all ironies came when he refused to use a microphone, opting to speak to the crowd without the aid of the instrument that had made him famous. And so it began. For fifty-five minutes, he schooled the crowd on Hip Hop’s past, present, and future. His message was simple: Hip Hop was founded on love, peace, and unity, and it has strayed from those roots, something many in the Hip Hop community have felt for quite some time. He stated that Hip Hop has become an international culture, but that it was not always so. “The Commodores - that's serious. The Supremes - that's serious. The Rolling Stones - that's serious,” he said, echoing the sentiment of society and popular culture during Hip Hop’s formative years. “They didn't think we were serious.” What made the world change its minds about Hip Hop culture is, in essence, what this thesis is about. KRS One, born Lawrence Parker, informed the crowd that he used to repeat the phrase, “I'm an emcee,” over and over when he was homeless. When people called him a bum, he would reply, “I’m an emcee.” As he made his way through the streets, often taking refuge in shelters and libraries, he maintained his focus on becoming an emcee. It was this determination and persistence that allowed him to become one of the greatest emcees of all time. “Have the courage to express that... have some wherewithal about
10 yourself. Have the courage to say ‘this is what I want’…I'm going to be me no matter what,” he said. “It's the content of your character that's Hip Hop.” According to KRS One, Hip Hop is “finding the courage to be you…”1 no matter what the world may say. It is this feisty, unrelenting stubbornness that Hip Hop, and emcees such as KRS One, adopted in its formative days. In Hip Hop’s early days, the content of the culture’s character was made up of four elements: the DJ, graffiti art, breaking, and the emcee. Each of these arts had their beginning with DJing in the late 70’s. By playing the breaks of songs to extend the instrumental sections, thus allowing people to dance longer, the DJ became Hip Hop’s first star. In the early 80’s, graffiti art became widely visible, as did break dancing. Graffiti was heralded as the next great movement in the visual arts, while break dancing could be seen on morning talk shows and Hollywood movies such as Beat Street and Breaking. But emceeing and rapping, once viewed as a fad, began to dominate the culture as the record industry became aware of its economic potential. With his voice and use of words, the emcee emerged as the dominant element of Hip Hop while the other elements fell into the background (The Art of 16 Bars). Present day debates rage as to whether today’s rappers are in fact true emcees or products of the music industry. As Hip Hop rose from subculture into the mainstream, there were those who sought, and still seek, to preserve the culture and defend it from industries who wish to co-opt and exploit it in order to make a dollar. In the documentary The Art of 16 Bars, MTV VJ and radio personality Sway makes it clear that there are two worlds within Hip Hop that an emcee must contend with:
Even though you don’t sell records, that has nothing to do with your level of skill as an emcee or your credibility in Hip Hop. It might have something to do with your level of credibility or skill in the corporate boardroom, whose bottom line is the dollar and how many records you can sell, but who gives a fuck about them and their opinion. They know nothing about Hip Hop.
11 With all the corporate investment and media attention given to Hip Hop, there is always the potential for the genre to grow and evolve. The difference between Hip Hop and the Hip Hop Industry, as highlighted by Sway, is an obvious point of contention. As the money and publicity given to many emcees grows, so does their influence, but what about their responsibility to the genre and its traditions? The emcee has become the most visible representative of Hip Hop culture to the world at large. Because the line between true emcee and industry-made rapper are skewed by industry dollars, the masses will see and hear from performers who know little about Hip Hop culture and tradition, making for poor representatives of the genre they are thought to be part of. In the eyes of the causal Hip Hop fan, there is no difference between the Hip Hop Industry and Hip Hop. In any case, those who engage in rapping and find success are responsible, in large part, for the way Hip Hop sounds and looks, for the emcee is literally one of the voices of Hip Hop. Since moving into the twenty-first century, the economic, political, and social potential of Hip Hop is undeniable. The culture is a billion dollar industry that bleeds into music, sports, fashion, and nearly all other aspects of popular culture, essentially permeating society’s fabric. It has moved overseas and across borders, effectively learning to speak other tongues and provide a voice for those who lack one. Understanding what is it that a good emcee does will shed light on the poetry is created and how language is changed.
New Poet, Old Traditions
The content of the rhymes and the techniques of spitting those rhymes is the skill and artistry that an emcee displays in his work- and this is what has drawn so many to rap music. Yet behind such apparent ease of flow and wordsmithing, the emcee has to master many skills, from the ability to freestyle, to writing, to working in the studio, and appearing live before an audience. -Method Man (The Art of 16 Bars)
12 An emcee is defined by the work he does; he must be able to freestyle, write, and connect with a crowd. A look at the term’s etymology offers insight into what a good emcee is capable of. The term “emcee” emerges from the phonetic spelling of the abbreviation MC, which is short for Master of Ceremonies. The term originates from the Roman Catholic Church and refers to an “official at solemn services of the Roman Catholic Church charged with the duty of seeing that all rites are correctly executed” (Webster’s). The term would later come to describe an individual who “acts as host of a formal event (as a banquet or graduation exercise) making the welcoming speech, introducing speakers, and being generally responsible for the conduct of the program” (Webster’s). In a less formal and celebratory setting, the Master of Ceremonies would “act as the host for a variety program or other stage entertainment introducing other performers to the audience and usually interspersing his introductions with jokes, songs, or other specialty acts” (Webster’s). In the early seventies, the term became associated with Hip Hop. Consequently, “Master of Ceremonies” and was shortened to “MC” and was used to describe the role performed by the DJ’s hype man. The new MC performed a bit of the roles that every Master of Ceremonies before him performed: he ensured that the “ceremony” was properly conducted by acting as host and setting and maintaining the pace of the event (George 17-18). His main role, at least initially, was to prepare the crowd for any act that would perform at the event the MC was hosting. Using clever wordplay, the MC delivered written or freestyled rhymes to the crowd in order to engage and excite the crowd, introduce the performers, and most importantly, praise the DJ that he performed with before, during, and after he spun records. Setting a party atmosphere and interacting with the crowd was the MC’s role as he played Robin to the DJ’s Batman. As his role and popularity increased, the MC would eventually become the focus of performances, effectively writing and freestyling himself into the spotlight. His use of wordplay and ability to communicate with a crowd provided the MC a platform from which he could speak his mind, deliver his poetry, and still interact with and entertain a
13 crowd. The microphone and the stage came together to form the MC’s pulpit, allowing him to engage those who congregate at his shows (The MC). As the music, technology, and fan base grew and evolved, the MC began to garner the attention of popular culture, and consequently, music industry and record executives. As Hip Hop’s influence spread to the masses, the culture also began to feel the effects of its interaction with new and diverse individuals, audiences, corporations, and various societal influences. The term MC has adapted and evolved to incorporate new meaning. To Hip Hop purists, the term will always mean “Master of Ceremonies” whose job it was to “Move the Crowd.” To Hip Hop’s younger generations, the term "MC" might also encompasses definitions such as “Microphone Controller” and “Microphone Checker.” The uncertainty over the acronym’s adaptation to language and expansion of definitions and meaning has lead many to forget what the true MC is, what he means to Hip Hop, and what he is capable of. As Hip Hop journalism and criticism burgeoned, the term MC received a new incarnation, “emcee”, which results from spelling out of the acronym. This new word does not necessarily have a different meaning, but it serves to establish and legitimate the term and the emcee in literary and critical circles, acknowledging the emcee’s contribution to poetics, music, and society.
A Tale of Two Poets: The Emcee and the Rapper So what does a good emcee produces and what exactly is a rapper? Half poet and half musician, the terms “rapper” and “emcee,” though not synonymous, describe individuals who produce work that contains poetic elements and follow oral traditions. What defines a good emcee is a question that can be answered in terms of what is appealing to each individual ear and sensibilities or by analyzing the work that the emcee produces through close reading. Nowadays, however, the term “emcee” is used with little regard for its origin and essence, leading to the mislabeling of certain performers within the Hip Hop community. Hip Hop is constantly influencing language by adding meaning or recontextualizing words, even for terms that describe and encompass its history and legacy. Consequently,
14 the terms “emcee” and “rapper” have begun to take on synonymous meanings despite the fact that they are different practices that serve different roles. There is much at stake in making the distinction between the emcee and the rapper. Each represents a different mode of address and a different approach to the creation of value. While no one in Hip Hop has ever been opposed to making money, an emcee often produces poetry that can do more than simply make him money; it has an academic or intellectual value as well. Emcees produce a poetics that can survive on the page and be effective when performed as well. The emcee takes his craft seriously and seeks to preserve the integrity of his craft, writing rhymes, and the integrity of the culture. What he values is his reputation as an emcee and the respect that his skills have earned him. The emcee is aware of the difference between a Hip Hop Industry and Hip Hop Culture and operates within the Industry to create a poetry that maintains and furthers the Culture. Though commercial interests often dictate how and where Hip Hop moves, the emcee seeks to elevate the status of his profession as opposed to simply elevating himself. The production of value in language is part of a tradition in poverty; consequently, being “‘hood” or “ghetto” is the new sheik. This image of the hardcore rapper with a troubled past and disregard for the law is one that the Hip Hop Industry does not truly understand but seeks to perpetuate and exploit regardless. Though many emcees have had rough upbringings, their lyrics do not always dwell on their Spartan youths or rags-to-riches transformations, they realize that there is more to discuss than their past and present living conditions. The emcee belongs to a community (Hip-Hop) that actively seeks to communicate and entertain through its use of language. He aims to use language in order to identify different realities that are unknown to the majority of people. The process of finding and creating words through wordplay allows Hip Hop to explore its attitude toward and perception of language since, ultimately, Hip Hop seeks to speak up and make known the realities it faces. The work of the emcee reveals the inability of language to clearly portray and depict his reality while attempting to use that very language to forge a voice with which the marginalized, outcast, and otherwise nameless members of society can make
15 themselves known to the rest of the world. For example, take the song which KRS One believes to be the first “rap” song, Melle Mel’s “The Message”. The song’s opening verse begins: Broken glass everywhere People pissin’ on the stairs, you know they just don’t care I can’t take the smell, I can’t take the noise Got no money to move out, I guess I got no choice Rats in the front room, roaches in the back Junkies in the alley with the baseball bat I tried to get away but I couldn’t get far ‘cause a man with a tow truck repossessed my car
Guru, one half of the legendary group GangStarr, identifies with the song, stating that, “Melle Mel…was speaking on the frustration and experience of ghetto youth, our situation, as far as the struggle” (The MC). “Growing up in New York in the 80’s, that was me,” says Q-Tip in reference to the song. “Ghetto paranoia, angst, everything squeezing up on you” (The MC). It is perhaps KRS One who best explains how the song spoke to, and for, many urban youths who heard the song: “He lived somewhere and where he lived, he described it- and it was where I lived. That was the connection” (The MC). To many youths, Melle Mel’s description of his environment was in fact a description of their environment. His words detailed their surroundings, voiced their concerns and complaints. It put them in the spotlight, letting them know that someone understood what they were living through. Emcees like Melle Mel create a sense of unity amongst audiences because his lyrical content serves a point of reference for many people. Furthermore, the method of delivery, word choice, and rhyme scheme are appealing in and of themselves due to the fact that it creates a rhythm through wordplay and rhyme and often engages the crowd with call and response. Even if one were unable to connect with his content, his poetry serves as a bridge to overcome the gap. Creating a language for discussing problems, troubles, and the perplexity of finding solutions for these conundrums is what, in essence, Hip-Hop, and more specifically, the emcee, focuses on. The use of language to shed light upon certain
16 problems that the rest of society may be unaware of is a point of unity between the culture and the individual. Furthermore, the way in which these literary and oral traditions work with language for accurate introspection, reflection, and expression is what catapults the poetry to the forefront of popular culture and critical/literary circles. Unfortunately, the term emcee has become diluted. Many, even some within the Hip Hop community, do not understand that there is a difference between a rapper and an emcee. A rapper is characterized by his ability to create verses that lend themselves to a rhythmic delivery. His focus is mostly placed on his ability to rap, not necessarily on moving a crowd or conveying a message. In essence, the strength and influence generated by a rapper comes from his ability to create a rhythm through wordplay, or rap. The rapper does not necessarily care to move and interact with the crowd as an emcee might, and his lyrical content is not as diverse, engaging, or poignant as the emcee’s. It should be noted that this does not make a rapper less influential or important than an emcee; it simply means that there is a distinction between rapper and emcee and that they are very different entities within Hip Hop. Stic.man, one half of Hip Hop group dead prez, offers this perspective:
Let’s look at it like this. A rapper is to an emcee what an average street fighter is to a trained martial artist. They are both fighters but the degree and depth of their skill is very different. The rapper, like the average street fighter, has a few basic skills that he has learned that have worked for him in certain situations and earned him a little respect. For example, a one shot knock out punch for the street fighter and a knack for punch-lines for the rapper. But other than having a few basic moves and a little bit of heart, the average street fighter is out of shape, he holds his breath when he’s punching, he’s only strong with his right hand and weak on his left, he’s high all the time, he bullies people weaker than him, and he thinks he can’t be beat. Now let’s do the knowledge for the martial artist. S/ he works out regularly to stay in top shape, he religiously practices proven techniques with various sparring partners to further develop his fighting skills , he
17 practices breath control to increase his energy and endurance, he can fight with not only his hands but his feet, knees, elbows and he is also formidable with several weapons. He is trained to fight well under fatigue and multiple opponents at once. And still with all these many deadly skills, the true martial artist is humble because he has a spiritual understanding that allows him to know that he can always improve. As you can see, both the average fighter and the martial artist are in the same category but their level of skill is many, many degrees apart. An emcee is a martial artist in his or her craft. Yes of course, he is a rapper but with exceptionally developed skills. He is more than just an average rapper because he is dedicated to doing the best that he can at all times. He can operate with proficiency on any beat, any subject, any style and maintain his integrity and prowess. He is a warrior against limitation of his ability and expression. He sacrifices much of his time with his friends, family, job and so forth to perfect his craft. He is not just satisfied with “whatever comes out” and though an emcee must be ever confident, he is self-critical enough to recognize and solicit feedback in his areas that need strengthening. He is outspoken, passionate, and convincing. Breath control, storytelling principals, rhythm, enunciation, spontaneity and improvisation, language innovation, charisma, accountability to community principals, and trendsetting are all part of his basic arsenal. And like the etymology of the word kung fu, emcee essentially means skill. It is a title that many can claim but the crowd that has been moved is the real verifier of that skill (stic.man 14-15).
What is truly revolutionary about the emcee is that his work inspires, motivates, and unites people, as in Melle Mel’s “The Message”, through the use of poetic conventions and innovations that transcend social categorization. It is his treatment of language, interpretation, perception, and reality that sets the emcee aside from other elements in his community.
18 Along with a love and understanding for Hip Hop culture, the ability to use poetic convention to describe, communicate, and express form the main elements, criterion, and proverbial line in the sand between emcees and rappers. An emcee focuses on every aspect of his craft, from freestyle and writing, to his flow, command of breath, delivery, voice, stage presence, and interaction with a crowd. A rapper, whose forté is to flow and deliver his verses rhythmically, focuses mainly on the convention of rhyme to create his art. This does not mean that rappers do not employ other poetic conventions; they tend to rely on rhyme and simile to create a punch line to create their art as opposed to exploring the other conventions. An emcee recognizes that although creating flow through rhythmic rhyming is important, it is not the only aspect to contend with. He tends to generate a poetry that engages the audience, forcing them to consider the ideas and topics presented, not just the manner in which they were presented. Also, the emcee understands that he is part of a legacy of emcees that came before him and that it is responsibility to keep those traditions, knowledge, and art alive. Hip Hop culture has a set of aesthetic and stylistic sensibilities that are constantly being amended, fluctuating with the influence of those who partake of the culture. Hip Hop’s reach is expansive. Its audiences grow everyday. Hip Hop, as well as a good emcee, is in a sense, like the Ancient Roman Empire, constantly incorporating ideas, customs, tactics, and ideologies of the people it comes in contact with while still leaving a unique, indelible mark. He digests, processes, analyzes, and reacts to the world through his poetry. As mentioned earlier, the ability of Melle Mel’s “The Message” to connect with so many people on a personal level is one of the reasons that he is a good emcee. The true emcee chronicles and respects Hip Hop’s constant growth, incorporating many of those elements into his art while remaining innovative, a task that seems paradoxical but not impossible. As he paves the way for emcees that will follow, an emcee seeks to cement his legacy the same way that great emcees did before him. Being an emcee means that you carry a torch that is lit by Hip Hop’s past in order to help you blaze a trail for the future. Emcees understand, as KRS One often says, that “rap is something we do, Hip Hop is something we live.”1 By embodying the culture in his own
19 unique way, an emcee can be a rapper, but a rapper is not necessarily an emcee, for he lacks the depth of knowledge and involvement in the culture that makes the emcee one of the four pillars of Hip Hop. It is this passion for Hip Hop, an intangible trait that separates the emcee and rapper. Who then, one might ask, is an emcee and who is a rapper? An emcee lives Hip Hop, a lifestyle and culture that permeates his poetry and body of work. A rapper, on the other hand, lacks the passion for the culture, an intangible quality that is immeasurable. It is therefore difficult to judge whether an individual is an emcee or a rapper; the individual’s poetry reveals which one he is. For argument’s sake, let us examine two different artists, KRS One and Plies. The Source, a staple in Hip Hop journalism, stated that, “More arguably than any other Hip Hop head, Hip Hop culture is KRS One’s life, and he never seems to lose his passion for it” (Turner 118). KRS One’s involvement with Hip Hop is undeniable: he founded the Temple of Hip Hop, a community that strives for the preservation of Hip Hop, and was a member of a committee that petitioned the United Nations to accept Hip Hop as a world culture. Furthermore, KRS One takes his role as an emcee very seriously: “Emceein’ comes from the heart…Your lyrics are the manifestation of your soul. They didn’t come from nowhere else…What makes you an emcee is the expression of your soul…” (The MC). To those who ask him the difference between a rapper and an emcee, he simply replies, “rap is something we do; Hip Hop is something we live.”1 It becomes apparent that KRS One sees little distinction between Hip Hop and the emcee; they are one entity. Plies has a different perspective. “I don’t have a lot of knowledge on the true foundation of Hip Hop,” he said in an interview with XXL. “I’m illiterate when it comes to that shit, because I never had aspirations of being an artist… There are a lot of niggas fightin’ over who’s the best lyricist. I don’t give a fuck about that. My drive is to be a spokesman for the real niggas. I don’t cherish this rap shit. I’m motivated by niggas doin’ 40 and 50 years, because they kept it real” (Markman 54). The article goes on to say that, “Despite his blatant disregard for the culture he now represents, Plies is being touted as Florida rap’s next big thing” (54).
20 Herein lies an interesting conundrum. How does an individual who claims to not “cherish this rap shit” represent a culture for which he has such “blatant disregard?” Because he raps, a practice that is as essential to Hip Hop as air is to lungs, Plies is automatically placed under the umbrella of Hip Hop even though he “don’t give a fuck” about lyrics, is “illiterate” on the history and culture of Hip Hop, and “never had aspirations of being an artist”. It is evident that although he has received media attention for his raps, Plies does not represent Hip Hop Culture. On the other hand, the media portrays him as “representing a new day and time…despite the fact that Plies lack[s] any real lyrical potency” (Markman 54). In fact, the article acknowledges that Plies received a record deal because a record executive “was taken by the rookie’s street persona” (54). Rappers such as Plies are evidence that Hip Hop Culture is being exploited by record executives and the media to form a Hip Hop Industry which does not care for Hip Hop Culture, but for Hip Hop dollars. The line between emcee and rapper is not always so distinct; KRS One and Plies are good examples of each side of the spectrum. Because individuals with no “real lyrical potency” and an attractive “street persona” are found on every street corner in America, it is easier and more efficient for record executives to create these cookie cutter rappers and dispose of them when their fifteen minutes of fame have passed. Because record labels only care about the almighty dollar, they continue to strike at Hip Hop while the proverbial iron is hot, disfiguring its form and reshaping it into a money-first, culture-last façade. As Jerry Quickley posits:
The problem is not the Hip Hop stars of the moment. The problem is not Jay-Z. The problem is that the gatekeepers, massively consolidated radio conglomerates, music promoters, and label executives that effectively control what is released put the vast majority of their efforts only behind Jay-Z and Nelly and the like…The distortion and over-amplification of a very narrow section of Hip Hop is messing up the program. Media execs all too often define themselves with safe, easy choices. Homogenization is much easer and safer for radio stations and labels than innovation and the
21 massive risk of capital that are part of it. The real problem of Hip Hop comes with whom P. Diddy and Jay-Z and DMX and Eminem have sided, not the work they do... (40) There is no question as to whether rappers like Jay-Z and Eminem are talented. In fact, Eminem is one of the most innovative, provocative, and potent rappers ever. It is his use of language coupled with his knowledge of Hip Hop Culture that makes him a remarkable emcee. According to Quickly:
To actually represent Hip Hop flavor and styles within poetry, you must be able to represent, or rap, straight Hip Hop. If you effectively manifest Hip Hop poetry styles, it means that you have the ability to use both straight up Hip Hop and straight up poetry (free verse, haiku, sonnets, whatever). Being a poet using Hip Hop styles does not mean that you throw in some timely ghetto colloquialism and vaguely clever but ultimately overtly self-conscious end rhyme. It means that you can choose to bend your styles to your will both within your written work and within your performances, all the while keeping your uniqueness and tone intact. There are artists who claim to represent Hip Hop poetry, and if they were ever caught in a cipher (a group of MCs flowing verse) they would be like the proverbial deer caught in a beat box’s headlights (41-42).
The emcee engages language in multiple registers. Like any good poet, the emcee has a command and understanding of language that allows him or her to convey a message in an effective, thought-provoking, and creative manner. What an emcee does with words is create, communicate, unite, inform, transcend, and rewrite; in essence, the emcee utilizes a poetic form to create his art. The questions that are often asked deal with the legitimacy of the emcees as a poet- Are emcees really poets? Do you really think that all emcees are poets? The simple answer is yes. All emcees and rappers are poets, but that does not necessarily mean that they are all good poets. To answer this question as honestly and effectively as possible, one must consider that the form they utilize, Hip Hop, is, in and of itself, a poetic form.
22 In spite of this, not everyone that utilizes the form does it justice. The truth is that many emcees are terrible poets. Yet, there are some emcees whose knowledge of language, understanding of words, use of poetic convention, and ability to convey a message or meaning is nothing short of poetic. This thesis does not seek to defend the legitimacy of Hip Hop as a poetic form or the position of emcee as poet; it seeks to explore the contributions that Hip Hop makes towards poetics, the innovations it creates, and how its use of language provides new meaning. The emcee is at the forefront of a literary, linguistic, and exceptionally poetic culture. Hip Hop is a unique art form that is the product of the interweaving and intersecting of two modes of expression, literature and music. However, its musical function has outweighed its literary contributions for quite some time. Hip Hop has, from its inception, been marketed as music, as have most audible forms of art that use instrumentation and are experienced sonically. While other musical genres might be seen as poetry put to music, Hip Hop has not always been viewed in such a legitimating light. Until recently, it had always been othered because its community was itself othered. The fact that Hip Hop stems from a series of poetic traditions and creates its own poetic traditions is quite often overlooked. Despite its popularity and increasingly diverse audiences over the past two decades, Hip Hop music is often considered, or not considered, as artistic as other musical forms. One of the reasons for this is that Hip Hop poetry is largely an oral poetry. However, it is for that very reason that, in my estimation, Hip Hop has reached its current level of popularity. In its short history, Hip Hop has gone from subculture to pop culture because of its ability to reshape language to describe the world in which the culture exists. Furthermore, its ability to create poetic wordplay that appeals to a continuously expanding audience that understands its nuances and references reinforces the concept of community that Hip Hop creates. The fact that much of this poetry is composed with pen and pad is often overlooked. Pop culture has placed much emphasis on the battling and freestyling aspects of Hip Hop, all but ignoring the wordsmithing and calculated precision of the emcee’s poetic contributions. The final version of many pieces were written, memorized, and then delivered in front of a microphone in order to ensure the accuracy of the words, sounds,
23 flow, and content. The process of forging this poetry is not as romantic as the concept of being divinely inspired to exhale an already-perfect piece. The emcee’s contribution to contemporary culture and entertainment is his ability to use poetry and his ability to present poetry to diverse segments of society. I believe that looking at Hip Hop lyrics with a literary critic’s eye will lead to some remarkable discoveries in what Hip Hop accomplishes in terms of its literature, for Hip Hop’s use and treatment of poetic convention is remarkable. It is necessary to examine the different ways in which Hip Hop reinvents language through the use of poetic convention.
24
CHAPTER TWO ENGAGING THE LANGUAGE
“The ultimate in Hip Hop is that fleeting moment of escape” -Bobbito (Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme)
It’s Friday night and they have taken over the house party. A crowd begins to form around them. It looks like an after-school fight, but in actuality, the tight, almost claustrophobic circle they create cuts them off from a world they have turned their backs on and lets them focus on freeing their minds and creating a connection with each other as well as with those who stop to listen. This cluster of emcees freestyling back and forth is called a cypher, and to them, what happens in the cypher is a magical, spiritual ritual. The circle is infinite, 360 degrees of protection and freedom; a circumference of expression. The world may not hear or acknowledge their voices, but the cypher welcomes them. The crowd bobs its head to the beat blaring over the speakers and reacts to the rhymes and punch lines each emcee delivers. They let the beat dictate their flow. At the end of the night, I ask one of the emcees, Double Deuce, if he had written anything he had spit. “In all honestly,” he replied, “I don’t even remember anything I spit tonight. Fuck writing it down. I just can’t stop thinking about the energy.”2 He said he remembered having all eyes and ears on him, and that he took advantage of that opportunity to give the crowd a show, making reference to concepts everyone could recognize, such as the message printed on some guy’s T-shirt and some girl’s ridiculously short skirt. “After that, I closed my eyes and just let go, you know. I was channeling the energy in the cypher and the party, connecting with some spiritual force that just fuels you.” His trance-like state had gone on for about four minutes. When he was done, he looked tired but happy. “I wasn’t worried about school or my bills or whatever problems I have. That’s what the cypher’s about though, being free.”
25 To say that freestyling is a cathartic experience is an understatement. It is very therapeutic; like a form of confession or getting a massage. Entering the cypher is akin to entering an altered state of consciousness without the help of mind-altering substances. That’s why it’s called freestyle, because it sets you free. Double Deuce’s problems seemed to have been diffused, exhaled like a puff of cigar smoke while he was in the cypher, as if he had vented them, and in the process opened himself up to the ongoing flow and exchange of energy that every musician, painter, poet, thinker, and dreamer seeks to be part of.
Freestyle: Inspired Rhyme The term freestyle refers to the act of spontaneously rhyming about whatever comes to mind. It is the art of lyrical improvisation, or improvisational Hip Hop. There are generally two ways in which emcees engage in this oral tradition: by freestyling in a cypher and by battling. There are many ways which emcees approach freestyling, but at its essence, freestyle is rapping in the heat of the moment, improvising with words and ideas, and delivering rhymes in a flow that is subject to change at all times. Nothing is rehearsed or prepared; everything is thought up in the spur of the moment– and is often all about the moment. Like other traditions of improvisation and spontaneity such as jazz and the Cuban décimas guajiras, freestyle thrives on being a lyrical magic trick which makes something out of nothing. To many in the Hip Hop community, the art of freestyle is a practice that transcends corporeality, elevating the mind past the trials and tribulations of everyday existence by initiating a connection between the emcee, the divine, the crowd, and his environment. In essence, the emcee adjusts his connection and position to the world by reinterpreting his position within his environment and how he interacts with it. Mos Def elaborates, “There are moments where it’s sublime, you know, you’re standing in the cypher and it would just form. You’d be with like three or four emcees and you’d go up to three or four other emcees and the cypher would just start and people around you would start looking” (Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme). With the same spontaneity that a cypher can form, the emcee taps into and interacts with the environment through freestyle. This unrehearsed stream of
26 consciousness rhyming allows the emcee to absorb the environment, internalize it, and combine it with whatever may be on the emcee’s mind to produce lyrical Polaroid pictures moment after moment. Through this process, the world is channeled and filtered through the emcee’s eyes and mind and made artistically apparent through his words. KRS One explains, You’re rhyming, and you’re fully aware of what’s going on around you, but your mouth is doing something that your mind is not actually, consciously making happen. In other words, you’re thinking one thing, like the next rhyme, [or] when do I get the crowd to say ‘Ho’, [or] this girl over here keeps looking at me, this guy wants me to sign his picture, the music is too low, the music is too loud. All of that is going on in the emcee’s head while out his mouth he could be saying, “I’ll keep on bringin’ and singin’ until your ears is ringin’ and stingin’, gleamin’ and dreamin’ true emceein’ with meanin’. (Art of Freestyle)
Freestyle vs. Rehearsed Rhyme: The Battle within the Battle
The art of the Freestyle Battle is an essential component to Hip Hop.
Freestyle battles between MCs are the essence of the rapper’s art and are akin to the “cutting sessions” that were once a mainstay of jazz. Just as jazz musicians tore into one another, determined to show whose chops were supreme, so do MCs battle it out, dissing each other’s talents, taste in clothes, and –of course- mamas. This dissing has long been familiar in black communities, as ‘signifying’ and ‘dozens,’ a pair of street corner insult games whose aim was to ‘totally destroy someone else with words,’ as hip-hop chronicler Davey D puts it. But whereas ‘dozens’ and ‘signifying’ are informal activities, freestyle battles are sometimes witnessed by thousands of fans…” (Sobol 120).
27 In Hip Hop, a question that is often asked is “To be a true emcee, must one be proficient at freestyling, and if one is a true freestyler, how much of it is actual freestyle as opposed to rehearsed rhyme?” Technically, freestyle is rhyming that takes place in the heat of the moment, in which improvised rhymes are delivered in a loosely-structured flow. It is not rehearsed; it is composed on the spot and delivered in the moment. In fact, when it comes to freestyle, it’s all about the moment (The Art of 16 Bars). However, there is one arena involving freestyle where these rules are bent. In a Freestyle Battle, the mood, content, focus, desire, and objective are completely different from simply freestyling. In a battle, the goal is to systematically destroy your opponent’s character by publicly humiliating and discrediting him, a far cry from simply discussing current events and displaying lyrical skill. While all forms of freestyle demands a lot of practice, the Freestyle Battle requires preparation and thick skin. Labeling these battles as “freestyled” is a bit of a misnomer at times. As the old adage goes, “all’s fair in love and war”. Freestyle battles are no exception; nothing is sacred in a battle. When an emcee goes to battle, he is placing his reputation on the line. Battle rappers are warriors who battle with words, strategize and employ tactical maneuvers while exchanging verbal blows. From the second they lay eyes on each other, they are plotting each other’s demise. In these contests, the combatants exchange blows and live to tell about it. However, the loser’s ego and reputation may not be able to make that claim (Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme).
Rhymes and Reasons: The Anatomy of the Freestyle Battle
Freestyle Rap Battles: opponents using words as fists. The words are improvised as quickly as they are spit. They rhyme, they are to a beat, and they are aimed directly at the specific weaknesses of the opponent. And when you see these battles, you see their dexterity with words and their use of words as weapons. You see the way in which they hurl invective at each other, literally as fists, as if it were a boxing match (8 Mile). -Curtis Hanson, Director of 8 Mile
28 The stage is set. The anxious crowd bubbles up in roaring chant, beckoning the commencement of the battle. They came to see two men put it all on the line. They came to see two men enter and one man exit. The warriors make their way toward each other, exchanging narrow-eyed glares. Each studies the other, looking for chinks in the armor, scouting any possible weakness that can be exploited. Within a matter of minutes, their egos, reputations, and their life as a freestyle battle rapper will be challenged, made vulnerable for the duration of the longest minute of their lives. After determining who will strike first, a beat begins to play and one emcee delivers his verse at his opponent and to the crowd, seeking to publicly humiliate his opponent in order to secure the crowd’s approval. “The rappers face off against each other, but they actually play to the crowd because it is the reaction of the crowd and the applause that determines the winner” (Hanson 8 Mile). After the allotted amount of time, usually between thirty seconds and a minute and a half, the other emcee retorts, seeking to verbally dismantle his opponent. “I remember when I used to do it,” recalls Eminem, star of the semi- autobiographical film 8 Mile, which is loosely based on Eminem’s early days as a struggling rapper in Detroit’s 8 Mile, a section of the city that separates the Black and White neighborhoods.
If I lost a battle, it would be my entire world felt like it was crumbling. A lot of people would say, ‘What’s the big deal? Get over it. You lost, try again, whatever.’ ‘No, you don’t understand, I lost a battle. My life is over!’ Like that’s how you feel. It’s so important and it’s such a…it’s like competing; it’s like a sport that’s somebody’s life (8 Mile).
While there are countless freestyle battles available for close reading, the decision to analyze a Hollywood battle in 8 Mile as opposed to an actual battle was made because all of the back story, details, characters, emotions, insults, and inside jokes are made known to the film’s audience, making the each rapper’s punch lines incredibly effective and poignant. By sharing this base of knowledge with the audience, the skill and artistry
29 exhibited in a freestyle battle is highlighted, showcasing the improvisational skills and lyrical dexterity of the combatants. While such a contained scenario is unlikely in reality, it does not detract from the essence and spirit of competition exhibited in all battles. The film does an excellent job of capturing the raw energy and spontaneity that are characteristic of freestyle battles. Eminem’s character, B. Rabbit, struggles to gain respect as a battle rapper throughout the film. In Detroit’s 8 Mile section, B. Rabbit is regarded as an outcast. His only friends are a group of childhood companions known as Three and One-Third, named after their area code, 313. As the film progresses, B. Rabbit expresses his displeasure with his minimum wage job, the fact that he lives in a trailer with his mother and little sister, and his inability to jumpstart his life. Furthermore, B. Rabbit’s friend accidentally shoots himself in the leg trying to break up a fight between 313 and members of The Free World, his rival crew, his girlfriend cheats on him with a member of The Free World, and he is later beat up by The Free World. To make matters worse, members of The Free World are the Freestyle Champions at The Shelter, a club that hosts 8 Mile’s battles. In the film’s climax, B. Rabbit rhymes his way through three different battles, overcoming three different opponents. The first of B. Rabbit’s opponents is an emcee named Lyckety-Splyt, a member The Free World. After the coin toss, Lyckety-Splyt begins:
This guy's a choke artist, ya catch a bad one Your better off shootin’ yourself With Papa Doc's handgun Climbin’ up this mountain, your weak I’ll leave you lost without a paddle floatin’ shit’s creek
The first line references the film’s opening sequence in which B. Rabbit freezes up during a battle and loses the battle on account of his inability to respond to his opponent’s lyrical assault.
30 You aint Detroit, I’m the D, you’re the new kid on the block ’bout to get smacked back to the boondocks Fuckin’ Nazi, this crowd aint your type Take some real advice and form a group with Vanilla Ice And what I tell you, you better use it This guy's a hillbilly, this aint Willie Nelson music
By attacking B. Rabbit’s whiteness, Lyckety-Splyt draws attention to the point of distinction between B. Rabbit and the crowd, which is largely African American. To further widen that distinction, Lyckety-Splyt calls B. Rabbit a Nazi, which is the antithesis of Hip Hop and everyone present at the battle. Furthermore, he compares B. Rabbit with Wille Nelson and Vanilla Ice, both of which have little to do with Hip Hop. In fact, comparing him to Vanilla Ice is exceptionally insulting because Vanilla Ice, despite his initial fame, is considered to be a joke within the Hip Hop community; he is regarded as a one-hit-wonder and a white interloper on black culture.
Trailer trash, Ill choke you to your last breath And have you lookin’ foolish like Cheddar Bob when he shot himself Silly Rabbit, I know why they call you that ‘cause you follow Future like he got carrots up his ass crack And when you actin’ up that’s when you got jacked up And left stupid like Tina Turner when she got smacked up
Here, Lyckety-Splyt takes a stab at B. Rabbit’s name, calling him a “silly rabbit,” a phrase popularized by the cereal Trix, whose advertising mascot is a rabbit that attempts to abscond a cereal box belonging to a group of children. The rabbit, who is never successful, is then mocked by the children, who taunt him by saying, “Silly Rabbit, Trix are for kids”. Lyckety-Splyt then makes fun of the relationship that Rabbit has with Future, his best friend and battle host at The Shelter, suggesting that Rabbit is a tag-a- long. This is a very resourceful act on Lyckety-Splyt’s part because it displays creativity and ingenuity by incorporating elements present at the battle.
31
I’ll crack your shoulder blade You’ll get dropped so hard Elvis will start turnin’ in his grave I don’t know why they let you out in the dark You need to take your white ass back across 8 Mile to the trailer park
Lyckety-Splyt’s final lines again take aim at the fact that he is White by likening him to Elvis, a figure often accused of stealing from black culture, and tells B. Rabbit that he is out of his element and that he should go back to the white side of town, or the trailer park. B. Rabbit then takes the microphone and responds:
This guy raps like his parents jerk him He sounds like Eric Sermon, the generic version This whole crowd looks suspicious It’s all dudes in here, except for these bitches
As B. Rabbit spits the last line, he makes his way over to where the members of The Free World are standing and points in their direction. The effect of this line is two fold: by insulting Lyckety-Splyt’s crew, he proves that he too can make use of the strategy of incorporating elements present at the battle into his rhyme, and then takes the opportunity to debase and emasculate Lyckety-Splyt and The Freeworld. B. Rabbit continues:
So I’m a German, Aye? That’s ok, you look like a fuckin’ worm with braids These Leaders of the Free World rookies Lookie, how can six dicks be pussies? Talkin’ bout shit’s creek Bitch, you could be up piss creek with paddles this deep You’re still gonna sink, your a disgrace
32 Yeah, they call me Rabbit, this is a turtle race He can't get with me spittin’ this shit wickedly lickety shot spusipickety spickety Splyt-Lyckety So I’m gonna turn around with a great smile And walk my white ass back across 8 Mile
B. Rabbit took Lyckety-Splyt’s line “And what I tell you, you better use it” quite literally, for it is his ability to counter all the points made by Lyckety-Splyt that is the key to winning the battle. In his verse, Lyckety-Splyt ridicules B. Rabbit’s ethnicity and the way he looks, his friend Future, his name, calls him a Nazi, and then tells him to back across 8 Mile. B. Rabbit counters each of those points perfectly, taking into account how each insult was used against him in order to counter it. B. Rabbit downplays the fact that he was called a Nazi by using a complex, multisyllabic rhyme that insults Lyckety-Splyt’s appearance, “So I’m a German, Aye? That’s ok, you look like a fuckin’ worm with braids.” B. Rabbit then takes aim at Lyckety-Splyt’s friends saying, “These Leaders of the Free World rookies, Lookie, how can six dicks be pussies?” The clever word play in this phrase demonstrates B. Rabbits lyrical ability while simultaneously serving as an insult. Lyckety-Splyt’s use of the phrase “up shit’s creek” backfires on him, “Talkin’ bout shit’s creek. Bitch, you could be up piss creek with paddles this deep, your’re still gonna sink”. As he deliver the line, Rabbit holds his thumb and index finger about an inch apart to indicate the shallow depth of the water in which his opponent will sink. Rabbit then downplays the comment made on his name by making another child- like refernce, namely the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare, “Yeah, they call me Rabbit, this is a turtle race.” B. Rabbit then makes fun of Lyckety-Splyt’s name, saying, “He can't get with me spittin’ this shit wickedly, wickety lickety shot spuspickety spickety Splyt-Lickety”. This line notes the rhyme and awkward nature of Lyckety-Splyt’s name and converts it into a jumble of words that sound alike, but one must note that it ends in “splyt- lyckey,” which is an inversion of Lyckety-Splyt’s name that lets the crowd know that B. Rabbit has just “split” Lyckety.
33 B. Rabbit ends his verse by saying “So I’m gonna turn around with a great smile and walk my white ass back across 8 Mile,” at which point he reveals his bare buttocks to the crowd and motions as if he were leaving the stage. This again subverts Lyckety- Splyt’s last line and neutralizes its venom by redirecting it at his opponent. After defeating Lotto, another member of The Free World, in the semi-final round, there is a fifteen minute intermission before the final round. B. Rabbit joins his friends in the front row and receives congratulations on defeating Lotto. They compliment him on his rhymes, and wish him luck against Papa Doc, The Shelter’s reigning Freestyle Champion. Cheddar Bob, B. Rabbit’s goofy friend who shot himself in the leg, asks B. Rabbit if he is worried about what Papa Doc is going to say. “What do you mean,” asks Rabbit. “You know,” replies Bob, “about Wink and that Alex bitch gettin’ it on and them beating you up and giving you a black eye and shit.” While everyone dismisses Cheddar Bob’s statement, B. Rabbit recognizes the wisdom in Cheddar Bob’s words. When Papa Doc and B. Rabbit come face to face, Papa Doc calls the coin toss and is awarded the decision of rhyming first or deferring to B. Rabbit. Implementing what is considered fundamentally a sound strategy, Papa Doc opts to rhyme second, forcing B. Rabbit to spit first. This would prove fatal. Remembering what Cheddar Bob said, Rabbit takes the microphone. The beat to Mobb Deep’s famous song “Shook Ones” begins to play. Turning to the crowd, he says:
Now everybody from the 313 put your motherfuckin’ hands up and follow me! Everybody from the 313, put your motherfuckin’ hands up! Look, look… Now while he stands tough Notice that this man did not have his hands up This Free World’s got you gassed up Now who's afraid of the big bad wolf?
34
These first few lines serve to alienate Papa Doc from the crowd, insinuating that he is not one of them. He then says:
One, Two, Three, and to the Four. One Pac, two Pac, three Pac , Four. Four Pac, Three Pac, Two Pac, One. You’re Pac, he’s Pac, you’re Pac…none.
As he says this, Rabbit is counting off the members of The Free World, intimating that they are all Tupac wannabes, or wannabe gangsters with the same aesthetics. Turning to Papa Doc, he says, “you’re Pac…none” indicating that Papa Doc is not even worthy of imitating Tupac.
This guy aint no motherfuckin’ emcee. I know everything he’s ‘bout say against me I am white. I am a fucking bum. I do live in a trailer with my mom. My boy Future is an Uncle Tom I do got a dumb friend named Cheddar Bob Who shoots himself in his leg with his own gun I did get jumped by all 6 of u chumps And Wink did fuck my girl I’m still standin’ here sayin’ fuck The Free World!
These lines are a self deprecating preemptive strike. By listing all of his weaknesses and bringing them up to the crowd, B. Rabbit has neutralized their venom. By offending himself, he has defended himself from any insults regarding his situation. If Papa Doc were to make mention of anything that Rabbit rhymed about, it would be considered uncreative and repetitive in the crowd’s estimation. By predicting and admitting to the material that was to be used against him, B. Rabbit takes the ammo out
35 of Papa Doc’s proverbial gun. There is nothing he can say that B. Rabbit has not already said. To add insult to injury, he says “I’m still standin’ here sayin’ fuck The Free World” to emphasize his resiliency to the various obstacles in his life. He then turns to Papa Doc and continues:
Don’t ever try to judge me dude. You don’t know what the fuck I’ve been through But I know somethin’ about you: you went to Cranbrook, that’s a private school What’s the matter dog, you embarrassed? This guys a gangsta? His real name’s Clarence And Clarence lives at home with both parents And Clarence parents have a real good marriage
By revealing some personal information about Papa Doc that he learned earlier in the film, Rabbit highlights some of Papa Doc’s contradictory characteristics. The fact that he acts like a gangster and totes a gun is incongruent with the image of a private school student named Clarence. Rabbit also mocks Papa Doc’s living conditions, claiming that they were pleasant and wholesome, an image that clashes with Clarence’s supposed thug- like demeanor. B. Rabbit continues:
This guy don’t wanna battle, he’s shook ‘cause aint no such thing as half-way crooks He's scared to death, he’s scared to look in his fuckin’ year book. Fuck Cranbrook!
In an act of genius, B. Rabbit references the hook found in “Shook Ones”, which happens to be the beat that he is rhyming to. Knowing that this song is popular, Rabbit incorporates a part of the song’s famous hook into his rhyme. He is aware that this will involve the crowd in his performance; when he spits, “he’s shook, ‘cause aint no such thing as” the crowd responds with an emphatic “half way crooks”. B. Rabbit is letting
36 everyone in the crowd know that Papa Doc is indeed a “half way crook,” something that the song “Shook Ones” denounces. For trying to pass himself off as a gangster, something which Rabbit claims he is not, Clarence is exposed as a fraud who is “scared to look in his fuckin’ yearbook” because it reveals the truth about him. As B. Rabbit finishes saying “Fuck Cranbrook,” the beat stops because the time allotted to him for rhyming has come to an end. He continues anyway, saying:
Fuck a beat, I go acapella Fuck a Papa Doc, fuck a clock, fuck a trailer, fuck everybody! Fuck y’all if you doubt me I’m a piece of fuckin’ white trash, I say it proudly Fuck this battle, I don’t wanna win, I’m outtie Here, tell these people somethin’ they don’t know about me
As he finished the last lines, Rabbit tosses the microphone at Papa Doc’s chest, emphatically concluding his verse. Papa Doc, having been stripped of all of his lyrical material, has nothing to say. Furthermore, he is humiliated. When his opportunity for rebuttal presents itself, Papa Doc remains silent, awkwardly holding the microphone. He then concedes, handing the microphone to Future. While this example of freestyle battling is not one that takes place in reality, it is a good example of what makes freestyle battles exciting and pertinent to Hip Hop. What makes the freestyle battle so important to Hip Hop is the fact that freestyle is Hip Hop’s original lyrical sport. Freestyle is a competitive sport that follows many poetic traditions and has many practitioners world wide. The battle puts both warriors in the spotlight, rhyming with no safety net. When it comes to battling, your ability to freestyle is on display for all to see. There is no studio equipment to make you sound better and there is no second or third take; there is no second chance. All the preparation, talent, and genius in the world will do little for you if you cannot adjust your flow and come up with a witty and pertinent retort or insult. When it comes to freestyle, you either can or can not. Because there is so much at stake, many Battle Rappers go to war with ammunition ready, so to speak. It is not uncommon for battlers to have a ready supply of
37 prepared lyrics, rhyme schemes, and ideas that they will use to set up punch lines or fill in space between punch lines. The practice of spitting (delivering) prepared rhymes is, and will always be, a point of debate. One side of the argument states that the use of prepared rhymes lacks the spontaneity and improvisation integral to freestyle. The fact that not everything that the emcee spit was spontaneously created on the spot is perceived as uncreative. However, the fact of the matter is that it is impossible to determine who uses prepared rhymes and who does not. The other side of the debate believes that the freestyle aspects of a battle are inevitable, regardless of the fact that some individuals choose to use written rhymes. The element of freestyle is made apparent in the way that the prepared rhymes are delivered.. KRS One explains, “The rhyme you’ve written is written for any environment, so you can interchange words, you can use the freestyle ability on top of that written rhyme” (The Art of 16 Bars). The Battle Rapper that writes his rhymes is still subject to the crowd and his opponent. He must still spit rhymes that are based on the battle’s environment, situation, and mood in order to engage the crowd and be creative. The rhymes must still be adapted to fit the moment and must be delivered fluidly in order to be effective. If a Battle rapper fails to do any of these things, he will lose the battle. In Digitopia Blues, John Sobol writes that “The best rappers are fantastic improvisers-freestylers-extemporizing lyrics of extreme semantic and rhythmic complexity in fiery public competition” (120). Although not every engagement with the art of freestyle pits emcees against each other, every emcee is under a bit of pressure to maintain his reputation. It is also important to note that freestyling is used by every emcee when he writes a song. In order to get a feel for the beat and to brainstorm lyrical ideas, an emcee’s song begins as a freestyle session that he captures with a pen and pad and later revises. The tension between prepared and improvised freestyle rhymes is a side effect of the tension between Hip Hop’s oral and written components. Hip Hop poetry is a two- sided coin that, when flipped, has two sides that want to land face up. Each side showcases a set of specific talents and abilities that an emcee must possess. Which one lands face up depends on who flips the coin.
38 Writing rhymes allows the emcee to be calculating and deliberate, carefully choosing words and structuring rhyme schemes. The emcee can forge extended metaphors and explore similes, weaving all the poetic conventions he uses into his piece. Freestyle, on the other hand, often forces the emcee to approach rhyming from a different perspective, coming up with end rhymes and flow at a moment’s notice. This does not allow the emcee much time to come up with his next rhyme; it is either there or it is not. Different as they may be, freestyle rhymes and written rhymes are invariably found together more often than not; they come together to form one coin. They are part and parcel of Hip Hop, giving the sharp mind of the emcee two venues to express himself and demonstrate skill under one umbrella.
Critical of the Illiterate Literacy: Oral Poetry on the Page The effects of writing down an oral poetry, both to organize for memorization and performance and for preservation cannot be underestimated. Writing rhymes is a process that involves the transfer of energy and a process of converting the state of that energy. When an emcee is inspired to write a rhyme, that concept, idea, and rhyme come to him in the form of a freestyle. As the emcee mutters words to himself, bobbing his head to a rhythm he envisions, the words that will eventually create his verse seem to come to him as if by osmosis, channeled from his mind, through his hand and find a resting place on the page. The process of searching for the right word, meticulously calculating the effect that its sound and meaning will have, is a moment of sublime inspiration. There are other times where the words seem to flow to the artist, as if by divine indication. It may seem as if this description of the rhyme writing process is a bit romantic or overly dramatic, but there is a metaphysical aspect to the process. When a rhyme is written down, its effect is converted from kinetic energy to potential energy. Words on a page will lay there, patiently waiting for someone to unleash the energy they had before entering their stasis, for their energy is accessible every time the rhyme is read or spoken aloud. The process of writing down the rhyme is reversed, converting the written word’s potential energy into kinetic energy through the act of being read. This is a process that Hip Hop poems must undergo more often; how the emcee’s words are reproduced is of utmost importance. Like all good poetry, Hip Hop poetry must
39 stand the test of print. Good Hip Hop poetry is capable of standing on its own without the use of the beat that accompanies it. Its use of poetic convention and wordplay is capable of creating a rhythm on its own. However, if one were to search the internet for the lyrics to a Hip Hop poem, one would be disappointed to find that there are often no official lyrics to be read. The only lyrics one is likely to find are those transcribed by a fan who has spelled every word in text message short hand. Furthermore, the words are often inaccurate. In addition, seeking clarity in a CD’s liner notes, which are supposed to be the “official lyrics,” may also prove disappointing. Take Nas’ “Ghetto Prisoners” for example. The song says:
As the night close down on the earth like great dark wings Light up cities in the night, destination for kings with big dreams, like Castro, overthrew Batista from Cuba and pointed nukes toward the U.S.
Yet the liner notes say:
As the night close down on the earth like great dark rings Light up cities in the night, destination for kings with big dreams, like Castro, overdue by Doosta from Cuba and pointed nukes toward the U.S.
It is obvious that such inaccuracy destroys the poem; the simile in the first line would make no sense if that line’s end word were “rings”; how would the night close down on the earth like great, dark rings? Furthermore, the allusion to Castro’s coup in the second and third lines no longer exists if, as the liner notes state, Castro were “overdue by Doosta”. Aside from being nonsensical, such a phrase makes the allusion even more nonsensical and ineffective. Not only does this gross oversight in the printing of these lyrics ruin the poem’s opening lines, it ruins the piece’s overall power and aesthetic.3 Reading an emcee’s words is a completely different experience from hearing them; it offers a different type of encounter with the poem. Placing the poem on the page
40 requires the same accuracy and precision that the emcee used when he first composed the piece. What appears on the page must be exactly what the author intended, not what some intern whose job it was to type up the lyrics thought he heard. The fact that many emcees do not carefully print and reproduce their work is mind boggling. Although they do publish their work, they are not published to be disseminated in print, but rather, to secure mechanical licenses, performing rights licenses, print licenses and other licenses authorizing various uses of their songs. This form of publishing is not intended to make the poetry readily available for analysis and interpretation. The value of preserving their work in print is overlooked and unappreciated, perhaps because they do not care for or understand the significance of preserving their work on the page. The major issue with this trend is that, at some point, someone is going to write down the poetry; and as Nas’ Ghetto Prisoners illustrates, that “someone” will affix the artist’s words to a page based on his interpretation of what was said, not what the emcee actually said. The careful transfer of the oral poem from the air to the page is also important because it preserves the rhythm and momentum the words build as they flow along. The reader must engage the words and get a sense of the rhythm embedded within them, sliding the eye over a page whose words have an effect similar to sliding one’s hand over a page of Braille. How the words are used and how they form a rhythm is dictated by the role they play on the page. This is one way which Hip Hop poets elicit the participation of an audience. Hip Hop poetry, like classical poetry, is meant to be experienced, even if it is on the page. The audience alone is part of the performance. As Imani Perry points out, “The response elicited by the audience from DJs or MCs forms part of the hip hop composition” (72). However, a good poem transcends the space created by the emcee, DJ, and crowd. It is able to stand alone, never depending on a beat or a sing-songy hook. It does not rely on the artist’s voice and inflection. It can survive without them. That is why the poet must take care of how his poetry is reprinted and reproduced. There is a difference between the words rhymin’ and rhyming. The words sound different, feel different, and look different because they are different. Although one is
41 technically a variation of the other, a mere contraction, they are not the same when affixed to the page. Similarly, the use of punctuation and line break are other elements that do not receive enough emphasis. Can you imagine the impact of changing the breaks and ignoring the punctuation when reprinting Poe’s “The Raven” or Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech? Hip Hop poetry builds a rhythm when it is read and since there is no voice to guide the reader, the commas and periods are crucial for the reader if he is to follow along. If an artist has not taken the time to have his words printed in exactly the manner he wished, the rhythm generated by reading the words, if any, will likely not be as fluid as it should have been.
Sweet Sixteen: Hip Hop’s Poetic Form The Hip Hop poem is typically composed of three stanzas containing sixteen lines, or bars, each followed by a four or eight bar chorus. Each stanza is referred to as a bar because it works within a beat, which is almost always in 4/4 time. The use of sixteen bar format gives the verse a sense of structure, as opposed to the free verse approach of rhyming that freestyle utilizes. Each sixteen bar verse is made up four sets of four bar phrases, which allows the verse to take shape. A poem takes shape by structuring the different components (verse, chorus/hook, and occasionally bridge) in a specific fashion. The beat and the verse’s rhyme scheme tend to play on a listener’s sense of intuitive anticipation; one can usually anticipate the arrival of an end rhyme or a chorus because the poems follow a verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus pattern, or a chorus/ verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus/ verse chorus pattern. There are many variations of this form because not all emcees adhere to the form’s structure. Some incorporate bridges, write verses in excess of sixteen bars, and take whatever liberties they see fit when working within and around the form, but it is likely that these poems will not receive any mainstream radio play, something most artists seek, due to the fact that they do not fit the radio-friendly format, which keeps songs around four minutes.
42 Sixteen Bars: Form or Formula The evolution of rap, that is to say, the oral rhythmic rhyming, “bears a striking resemblance to the evolution of jazz both stylistically and formally,” according to John Sobol, author of Digitopia Blues (117). Sobol observes that innovative jazz musicians in New Orleans “improvised primarily in 2/4 time” (117). He goes on to note that the playing of great jazz improvisers and the rap of Hip Hop godfathers was “rhythmically regular and highly metrical,” like “the playing of the first great improvisational innovator, Louis Armstrong” (117). Sobol likens the type of innovation made by jazz artists like Armstrong to the rap of early emcees, noting that,
Although their rapping is speedier and somewhat more syncopated than the pealing riffs of King Oliver or Louis Armstrong, the essential rhythmic pulse is similar. Early rap’s 2/4 rhymes follow quasi-regular metrical and stanzaic patterns and are anchored firmly by end rhymes (118).
As time passed, jazz musicians “began weaving their way electrically in and out of the new asymmetric syncopation, twisting and turning their phrases with greater rhythmic sophistication” (Sobel 118). The evolution of Hip Hop was no different. According to Sobel, the “lyrically inventive but angular and relatively predictable” rhyme structures of early emcees “gradually gave way to the more idiosyncratic verbalizing” of emcees that were “looking to compliment their provocative cultural statements with aesthetic choices that would distance them from rap’s party-music origins” (118). For instance, take the opening verse of NWA’s 1988 release “Straight Outta Compton”. Before Ice Cube’s verse begins, we hear Dr. Dre’s ominous words, “You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge”:
Straight outta Compton, a crazy motherfucker named Ice Cube From the gang called Niggaz with Attitudes When I’m called off, I got a sawed off Squeeze the trigger, and bodies are hauled off You too, boy, if you fuck with me
43 The police are gonna have to come and get me Off your ass, that’s how I’m going out For the punk motherfuckers that’s showing out Niggaz start to mumble, they wanna rumble Mix’em and cook’em in a pot like gumbo Goin’ off on a motherfucker like that With a gat that’s pointed at your ass So give it up smooth Aint no telling when when I’m down for a jack move Here’s a murder rap to keep you dancin’ With a crime record like Charles Manson AK-47 is the tool Don’t make me act a motherfuckin’ fool Me and you can go toe to toe, no maybe I’m knockin’ niggas out the box daily Yo weekly, monthly, yearly Until them dumb motherfuckers see clearly That I’m down with the capital C-P-T Boy you can’t fuck with me So when I’m in your neighborhood, you better duck ‘cause Ice Cube is crazy as fuck As I leave, believe I’m stompin’ But when I come back, boy, I’m comin’ straight outta Compton4
There is little in this song that resembles Hip Hop’s “party-music origins”. Instead, the song inhabits a role that many other songs discuss and describe; instead of talking about the violence in the ‘hood, the members of N.W.A. become that violence. By the early to mid 90’s, emcees were far removed from the predictability of end rhymes that was a side effect of following the early musical and rhyme structures.
44 No longer were MCs happily hitting downbeats and sticking within the frame of regular 4/4 rhymes. Instead, they slid over and under the beats, breaking phrases without concern for standard musical structure. They abandoned the easy sense of closure provided by the stanzaic form and let poetic form flow organically from lyrical, rhythmic, and narrative impulse (Sobol 118).
The rhyme structure created by the emcee’s use of words served to provide a pace or rhythm, often promoting regularity of flow as opposed to forcing it upon the composition. Take Bone Thugs N Harmony for example. This Cleveland based group delivers lines with such speed that the content of their verses is often intelligible. However, the words they use creates a distinct rhythm that moves within and around the beat, creating its own structure. Take Krazie Bone’s verse in “No Surrender”:
You better believe it’s judgment day so nigga just throw you pumps in the air Now kill’em, kill’em coppers like you just don’t care when they come, they come creepin’, me peepin’ Gotta watch them po po’s sleepin’ Put’em deep in gutters, me keepin’ ‘til a me rich and gotta get mine, every time This’ll be over in nine nine So nigga get down for the crime gonna be more coppers dyin’ in the line fuckin’ with thugs when I be slangin’ my drugs struggle to cuff me and my nigga, boy, gotta rip them guts and lay your head in blood better check yourself next time you test and try to smoke a nigga Bitch remember, me killa, me no surrender
Me no surrender… Nigga, Me no surrender… Me no surrender… Don’t make me put one in ya
45 Me no surrender… Don’t make me put one in ya Me no surrender… 5
Krazie Bone’s words flow so quickly that they tend to run into each other as they leave his mouth, entering our ears as one word. By choosing many one and two syllable words, this flow often mimics a semi-automatic pistol, firing off rhythmic bursts of words interspersed by pauses or breaks. The monosyllabic words join together and are delivered as one word or solid sound. When Krazie Bone spits: they come creepin’, me peepin’ Gotta watch them po po’s sleepin’ Put’em deep in gutters, me keepin’ ‘til a me rich and gotta get mine, every time This’ll be over in nine nine, So nigga get down for the crime gonna be more coppers dyin’ in the line his words are compressed, forming an effect that sounds like this:
they come creepin’, me peepin’ Gottawatch them popo’ssleepin’ Put’emdeep in guttersmekeepin’ ‘tilamerich and gottagetmine, everytime This’llbe overinninenine So niggagetdownforthecrime gonnabemore coppers dyin’intheline
By maintaining their cadence through the use of short words and a rapid delivery, Krazie Bone and the rest of his Bone Thugs brethren achieve the effect of creating one large, rolling word. The number of syllables in word-phrases such as “popossleepin’”, “Put’emdeep”, “guttersmekeepin’”, “‘tilamerich” is the same, helping maintain that
46 cadence. Furthermore, all of these word-phrases rhyme, furthering a rhythm that unifies this section of the verse.
New Flow for the New Emcee: The Poem in Action The emcee’s use of words began to dictate the pace of his poem as opposed to letting a beat regulate the flow of his words. By creating the rhythm, a new poetic form began to emerge, one that was free-flowing and open to any direction that the emcee chose to move toward. By adapting and renovating the use of the old structure, the emcee of the 90’s practically built the “New School”, making a distinction between himself and his “Old School” predecessors. Emcees like Melle Mel, Run of Run DMC, Rakim, and Kurtis Blow paved a path for the likes of Tupac, Biggie, Snoop, and Nas (Sobol 188). Consequently, the evolution of the rhythmic structure affects the structure of the poems. Like most change, this has good and bad consequences. The negative aspects, however, seem to temporarily outweigh the positives. We will discuss why this may be temporary later, but let us examine the effects now. Firstly, everything that follows a form or formula is bound to its rules and pattern. Hip Hop poems rarely vary in structure; they now follow a verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus pattern, or a chorus/ verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus/ verse chorus pattern, keeping the poem to about three and a half minutes in length. This structure may very well constrict an artist’s horizons by forcing him to place his verses into a radio-friendly mold if he seeks radio play. The Hook and Chorus, which are the most repetitive and consequently catchy parts of the song, draws the focus of listeners, who often regard a song’s verses as filler in between choruses or hooks. The hook is becoming more of a jingle or advertising ploy than a meaningful period of reflection in between verses. The chorus and hook have traditionally been a catchy and repetitive set of bars used to recap of the overall message that the song conveys, however they have now been relegated to mere jingles and gimmicks. In Rick Ross’ “Hustlin’”, the chorus repeats the phrase, “Everyday I’m hustlin’” ad nauseam. The phrase makes up the hook in its entirety; there is no variation save some scratching.
47 An Escape or A Cage: What to do with Sixteen Bars In today’s Hip Hop Industry, very few emcees find any measure of success without radio play. Radio play guarantees mass exposure which generally translates into record sales. Who receives radio play is not necessarily contingent upon musical or poetic talent, but rather, who the record industry wants you to hear. In the same way that Hip Hop’s pioneers took different forms of music and gave them new meaning, record label executives and radio conglomerates are recontextualizing not only the way that Hip Hop conveys meaning, but it is also dictating whose voice is heard on a national stage. Although this is a highly contested point of debate in today’s Hip Hop discourse, the aspect to focus on, for our purposes, is that how Hop Hip interprets and reinterprets the world is shifting, consequently shifting its poetry. As discussed in chapter one, many of the artists that receive corporate backing have a certain persona and fit the image of a street dwelling, gun-toting, drug dealer turned rapper who “keeps it real”. Most of these individuals make little contribution to Hip Hop poetry and simply rehash the same ideas, images, and even words. While some segment of audiences may find this entertaining, it is doubtful that the poetry produced by these rappers is what is appealing. The fact that these songs and music videos are played countless times each day plays a large role in the popularity of these songs. Many of today’s rappers fill in a song’s sixteen bars with the same ‘hood terminology and imagery used by every other industry-made rapper: there is the customary mention of money and jewelry, a reference to “bitches”, sexual prowess, and sexual conquests, a description of some violent act or violent threat, and lastly, a mention of their vehicle. An article in The Source titled “Self Destruction” makes mention of an underground rapper named Justin Rambert who makes his way Jersey City, NJ to Manhattan several times a week to a recoding studio run by Project Hip Hop, an organization that seeks to imitate Hip Hop’s “original ethos” (Markman 68). “The project uses the culture to mediate conflict and teach young people about the music industry” (Matthews 68). The article states that for Rambert, “the Hip Hop Project is a safe place to work on music and escape Jersey City’s block-by-violence,” yet it questions whether Rambert, and organizations like Project Hip Hop can ever really escape violence
48 (Matthews 68). Rambert says “I was talking to an A&R from Jive Records…he was like, they looking for something more gangsta’ and hood. People are afraid of change. It’s scary. I personally would be afraid to put out a mixtape in my hood if I didn’t shoot at least three people on the mixtape, ‘cause they not gonna listen.” (68) The repetition of this imagery and content has made it a standard in Hip Hop. This has become a sort of formula that is used to fill in the sixteen bar format. Nevertheless, talented emcees have been able to use this structure and use the form brilliantly, carefully choosing words and structuring their thought into sixteen bars. The sixteen bar structure works well for many emcees because it is a form that has been used successfully for years. It is likely that even without the media’s influence, the sixteen bar format would be widely used. By structuring their poems in a verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus format, many emcees produce excellent poetry that fits the radio format, allowing them to reach a greater audience.
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CHAPTER THREE ENGAGING POETIC CONVENTION Hip Hop poetry is meant to be performed. It is, after all, a form of oral poetry. It is at its most powerful, most effective, and most impressive when heard. The poem’s life on the page is complemented when delivered in an audible fashion. The poet’s voice, inflection, breathing, and tone breathe life into the words, contributing to the poems impact and effect. Like the town criers of yesteryear, these new-age bards address an entire community with their voice, conveying a message that is accompanied by a beat. Furthermore, rapping has a rhythm, pace, and ebb and flow that the emcee purposefully prescribes to the piece in his delivery. It is not strange to observe parallels between some Hip Hop poetry and other epic works from various literary genres. The great epic of Old English, Beowulf, begins with the narrator exclaiming “Hwæt!” before he begins the tale. As Antony “steps to the mic” (so to speak) to deliver his famous soliloquy in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Julius Caesar, his first words are “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears…”. A town crier, before delivering whatever news he may have for the town, would first gain the attention of the crowd by yelling, “Hear Ye, Hear Ye!” Like the examples mentioned above, many Hip Hop poems begin with a call for the audience’s attention; Hip Hop orators begin many of their poems with cries of “Yo, yo!” so as to get hold of their audience’s attention before they commence their performance. Nas’ “Small World” begins with a rapid succession of yo’s: “Yo, yo yo yo! Carolyn, from Maryland…” In a similar fashion, Eminem begins “The Way I Am” by saying, “Whatever.. Dre, just let it run. Hey yo, turn the beat up a little bit. Hey yo... this song is for anyone… fuck it, just shut up and listen, Hey yo!”
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Word Invention The creation of a new word, for whatever reason, is uncommon in Hip Hop. Where Bone Thugs N Harmony (and modernist poets like Gertrude Stein) use a series of words to create a new word from the existing words, Eminem will invent a word in order to suit the purpose of rhyme or cadence. In “Kill You” Eminem writes, 6
Know why I say these things? ‘Cause Ladies’ screams keep creeping in Shady’s dreams. And the way things seem, I shouldn’t have to pay these shrinks these eighty g’s a week to say the same things tweece. Twice, whatever, I hate these things.
This is an example of literal word creation, where Eminem has created a word to fit a rhyme. He creates the word “tweece” as a variation of ”twice” to finish the rhyme and to emphasize the abnormality that the content in it expresses. His alter ego, Slim Shady, has visited a very expensive psychologist in order to discuss certain dreams that are populated by women screaming. The disturbing content is accentuated by the insertion of a nonexistent word. By inserting the word “tweece” and then correcting himself, only to disregard the correction by saying “whatever, I hate these things” emphasizes the condition in which the poem’s figurative “I” finds himself.
Rewriting Rhyme Rhyming is perhaps the most recognizable of all poetic conventions. As children, we learn nursery rhymes to ease our passage into the land of the literate. Eminem’s ability to reshape words is highly respected amongst the Hip-Hop community for its use of repetition, homophones, and rhyme. His ability to repeat the same word while producing different meanings proves to be impressive. Though Eminem often adheres to the traditional use of grammar, this does not prevent him from taking grammatical liberties in order to awaken new meaning from words. These liberties allow Eminem to adhere to the constraints imposed by meter,
51 cadence, and rhyme, something that allows him to follow the strict rules of a modified sonnet, which is the form most Hip-Hop lyrics adhere to. While a sonnet has fourteen lines, the rule of thumb for a Hip Hop verse is sixteen bars, or lines. In “Patiently Waiting,” a song on 50 Cent’s debut album, Eminem writes:
[Bridge] You’ve been patiently waitin’ to make it through all the hatin’ Debatin’ whether or not you could even weather the storm. As you lay on the table they operating to save you It's like an Angel came to you sent from the heavens above.
[Verse] They think they crazy but they ain't crazy. Lets face it, shit, basically they just playin’ sick, They ain't shit. They ain't sayin’ shit. Spray’em Fifty! A to the K, get in the way I’ll bring Dre and them with me And turn this day into fuckin’ mayhem. You stayin’ with me? Don't let me lose you, I'm not tryin’ to confuse you When I let loose with this Uzi and just shoot through your Isuzu. You get the message? Am I gettin’ through to you? You know it's comin? You motherfuckers don’t even know, do you? Take some Big and some Pac and you mix’em up in a pot Sprinkle a little Big L on top. What the fuck do you got? You got the realest and illest killers tied up in a knot. The Juggernauts of this rap shit, like it or not. It's like a fight to the top just to see who’d die for the spot. You put your life in this, nothin’ like survivin’ a shot. You’ll know what time it is, soon as 50 signs on this dot. Shit, what you know about death threats ‘cause I get a lot. Shady Records was eighty seconds away from the towers Them cowards fucked with the wrong building, they meant to hit ours.
52 Better evacuate all children, Nuclear showers… There’s nothin’ spookier, You’re now about to witness the power of fuckin' 50! 7
It is clear that Eminem’s concern is not so much with grammatical precision, but rather with word play that will allow him to convey some sort of assonance and meaning. Although what he spits may not adhere to the traditional rules of grammar (his first line, “they think they crazy but they aint crazy” is missing the word “are” or its contraction), the reader or audience is left with a sense of understanding, as if to say, “I get it.” Eminem writes for meaning, not for clarity. He goes as far as to incorporate a line that informs the audience to pay close attention to his verse, “Don't let me lose you, I'm not tryin’ to confuse you,” because it may have to be experienced more than once in order to catch all of the nuances and significance which would, in turn, offer the clarity the audience seeks. Eminem’s use of rhyme within the line, or internal rhyme, allows him to make his lines flow with a cadence. In order to complete a line or thought that ends in rhyme, Eminem turns to any of the literary conventions associated with rhyme: true rhyme, repetition, half rhyme, imperfect rhyme, and slant rhyme. Furthermore, Eminem will often use the inflection of his voice to complete the rhyme even though these words may not seem to rhyme. “Patiently Waiting’s” bridge has an ABAB rhyme scheme, though Eminem does not use perfect rhyme. The first verse contains a mixture of perfect rhyme, half rhyme, and internal rhyme in order to maintain a repetition of rhyme. The first two lines of Eminem’s verse in “Patiently Waiting” state:
They think they crazy but they ain't crazy. Lets face it, shit, basically they just playin’ sick, They ain't shit. They ain't sayin’ shit. Spray’em Fifty!
Eminem’s use of rhyme and repetition allow him to exercise control of meter and cadence. Coupled with his use of slang and contractions, he is able to make the words
53 new by altering the use and pronunciation of each word. In the first sentence alone he repeats the word “they” three times and in the only sentence where “they” is not repeated, he inserts the word “face,” whose long “a” sound produces a half rhyme with the word “they” in order to continue cadence and rhyme through repetition. . Playing with the sound that each word makes seems to be as important as what each word means. The word “shit” is used as an exclamation, an adjective, a noun. The short “i” sound is repeated in the words “think,” “it,” “shit,” “sick,” and “Fifty” while the short “a” sound is repeated in the words “they,” “crazy,” “aint,” and “face.” The words “basically, “playin’,” “spray’em.”” and “sayin’” contain both the short “a” and short “i” sound. The phrases can therefore be broken down a bit further with the use of assonance and alliteration. By focusing on the repetition of the short “a” and “i” sounds, the lines would sound like: Ay ih ay ay (but) ay ay ay (Let’s) ay ih ih ayih ay (just) ayih ih ay ay ih ay ay ayin ih ayin ih
This experimentation with word play and sound is some of the most potent innovation with word play that Hip-Hop has produced in its brief history. By focusing on rhyming vowel sounds as opposed to rhyming words, Eminem manages to extend the use of rhyme and the scope of its effectiveness. Although the rest of the verse contains similar word and sound play, alliteration, and rhyme, the craftiness employed by Eminem is best reflected in the first two lines, which he uses to set the tone for the rest of the verse. In “Flip Flop Rock,” Jay-Z takes full advantage of repetition and internal rhyme to aid his characteristic smooth delivery and lyrical flow. He says:
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When I’m in the mood, I rock the S. Dot tennis shoes as I interlude I got the Gucci flip flops And I mix it up like Gin and Juice when I’m in them interviews dudes wanna know what he copped. From where did you got that, how can they buy that Where the million dollar watch at? Stop that! What that? Why this? Niggas wanna hijack the flyness I’m on a whole other plain, a whole different lane A whole other game that I’m playin’, understand what I’m sayin’? 8
The first four lines have an ABAB rhyme scheme. What makes these lines interesting is their use of complex internal rhymes, or rhyming phrases. The first three lines use the words “mood”, interlude”, and “Juice” to match with the end rhymes of lines one and three: “shoes” and “interviews”:
When I’m in the mood, I rock the S. Dot tennis shoes as I interlude I got the Gucci flip flops And I mix it up like Gin and Juice when I’m in them interviews dudes wanna know what he copped.
Lines one and two use the words “rock”, “dot”, and “got”, which rhyme with line two’s end word “Flop” and line four’s end word “copped”:
When I’m in the mood, I rock the S. Dot tennis shoes as I interlude I got the Gucci flip flops And I mix it up like Gin and Juice when I’m in them interviews dudes wanna know what he copped.
55 If one were to analyze the first two lines further, the previously mentioned sets of rhymes (“augh” and “oo”) intersect, creating syllabically congruent phrases that rhyme with the end word of lines one and two even though they have an AB rhyme scheme:
When I’m in the mood, I rock the S. Dot tennis shoes as I interlude I got the Gucci flip flops
Furthermore, Jay-Z maintains cadence and syllabic continuity by utilizing phrases that rhyme and have the same number of syllables, such as: “in the mood”, “tennis shoes”, interlude”, Gin and Juice”, and “interviews”. Like Eminem, Jay-Z relies on the rhyming of sounds, not necessarily words, to create his rhymes. The complexity of his rhymes is impressive, considering that the verse lasts 33 seconds; the audience would likely have experience the verse more than once in order to catch all of the subtleties and nuances.
The Art of Storytelling: Images and Narrative
[New School rappers] downplayed the playful exuberance of early rappers and elevated intimidating narrative intimacy as a means of conjuring up an aura of controlled violence. And they began constructing complex dramas in sound… (Sobol 118-19).
In “Undying Love”, Nas presents the audience with a poetic narrative, a tale of details. The poem has no figurative “I”; Nas is telling a fictional story with himself as the main character. His use of narrative and imagery make this piece quite vivid and effective. Along the way, he makes use of other poetic conventions, but this piece is an excellent example of the quality work some good emcees have been producing. The first four lines are a description that sets a mood and background for the plot that is about to unfold. The piece commences:
56 Pacino life, G-a-roll casino dice at the Mirage, Vegas strip, neon lights Gamblers, puffin cigars, couples and stars Flashin’ cameras, dealers, shufflin’ cards 9
In the song, the imagery’s appeal to the senses is further enhanced by sound effects that mimic the words Nas uses to paint the picture; we hear the murmur and bustling of a crowd, the zip of playing cards being shuffled, and camera lenses snapping while flash bulbs are flashing. The references to the Mirage, Hollywood stars, and thousand-dollar-a-roll dice games present an image of a high roller enjoying the best Las Vegas has to offer. The neon lights, cigar smoke, and other intangible sights, sounds, and smells of Vegas are captured in these four lines and made nearly tactile. The reference to Al Pacino serves a special purpose. Nas could have chosen any Hollywood icon to represent the high life, but he does not. The characters that Pacino has portrayed in films such as The Godfather and Scarface are metaphors unto themselves. Using Pacino’s name does more than serve as a word to rhyme with “dice” and “lights”; it alludes to mob bosses such as Tony Montana whose opulent lifestyle and rags-to-riches rise to power have fascinated Hip Hop audiences for years. The next four lines serve to inform the audience of the relevance of the first four lines as well as contrast them with Nas’ usual backdrop, New York.
Spent the weekend, already miss New York and it's odd ‘cause I'm the first to say its got too many hustlers who rob I never hang out, when we do we bust the four-five with shells comin’ back at us while we jump in the ride
We become aware that the first four lines are the description of a weekend getaway to Las Vegas, away from his everyday experience in New York. Nas says he never hangs out in New York and is motivated to take a break from it because he attracts problems that lead to shootouts. With this line, he is trying to convey the grittiness and hardships present in his everyday life, but it is done so with the use of hyperbole, which,
57 like the reference to Pacino, is used give him a larger-than-life appearance. The second line foreshadows what takes place later on in the piece. The next two of lines provide a bit of detail as to what went on in Vegas:
Flyin’, duckin’, our bitches in the club cluckin’ Tellin’ my wife who I was dancin’ with like I was fuckin’
However, there does not seem to be much of a contrast or relief from drama in this weekend excursion; the women he is surrounded by are gossiping, starting rumors, and spreading exaggerated reports of his actions that eventually get back to his “wife”, which in this case is slang for girlfriend. It seems that no matter where he is or what he does, there is no escape from drama, just a changing in the level of its intensity. The fact that he makes the distinction between dancing and intercourse is important. His celebrity allows him to sleep with pretty much anyone he wants, yet he states that what took place was harmless. This is a contrast to Hip Hop’s often misogynistic sexual braggadocio; if he were sleeping with women besides his current girlfriend, he would not hide it. In the ensuing lines, we are introduced to the rising action as Nas returns to New York:
Flew back Monday evening from Nevada where the sun was beamin’ to the concrete jungle of cement Limousines from LaGuardia airport, sleepin’ Told my dogs peace, kept it movin’, I was beat when got to my crib, where the hell my keys went? Ringin’ the bell, heard a yell but wasn't sure Dropped my luggage to the ground, put my ear to the door Slow music, H-Town, no, that's Down Low My baby's, drop Mercedes is parked, I creep around, yo to the back, she must be inside and can't hear Probably upstairs in the mirror doin’ her hair
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There is a stark contrast between Nevada and New York; he is leaving a place where “the sun was beaming” and arriving to “the concrete jungle of cement.” He is tired from the flight back and probably jetlagged, stating that he was sleeping in the limousine and hurriedly parted ways with his travel companions upon arriving at his house. Since he is unable to find his keys, he rings the bell, which is accompanied by the sounds of a doorbell being rung twice, and gets no response. He believes he hears a yell and puts his ear to the door in an attempt to confirm his assumption but hears slow music, which at first he mistakes to be the group H-Town. Upon further inspection, he realizes that the song he hears is “Down Low”. This detail is important because the reference to this particular R. Kelly song again foreshadows later events. The song deals with a woman who is cheating on her partner with Kelly, and insists that he keep it “on the down low”, which is to say, “keep it a secret”. When he sees that her car is indeed there and that she should have responded to the doorbell, we wonder why she has not answered the door. Nas quickly answers our curiosity about her absence, stating that she can not hear him because she is “probably upstairs in the mirror, doin’ her hair.” The next lines again use sensory images to set the mood as the rising action (no pun intended, you’ll see) gets rolling:
I walked in through the back door entrance Shocked it was unlocked, when I walked in I smelled incense chased by a weed aroma- empty Guinnesses and lipstick marks on like three empty Coronas A pair of blue jeans on the carpet; size 12 Timberlands, Somethin’ swingin’ on the ceiling fan, I stopped it Swingin’ slower and slower… On the last swing I saw it was a G-string and heard laughin’ Thought about my nine-side glock but somethin’ made me disregard it Started my way up to where the noise and music was at Froze, I couldn't react
59 This barrage of sensory information, riddling both Nas and the audience all at once- for we are experiencing this with him at the same time he does- overwhelms and confuses us all; this is unexpected, as well suspicious, and is evidence of an event. Nas is apparently following the footsteps of a man and a woman. Note the use of information used to describe each individual: the man’s smell represented by a “weed aroma” and the woman’s by incense. Their drinks of choice are apparent; she had three Coronas, which we know she consumed because she left lipstick on them, and he had a few Guinnesses. The trail continues onto the carpet and out of the kitchen as their apparel becomes apparent; a pair of jeans and a pair of Timberlands in size 12. He also hears laughing, which is made literally audible to the audience by a sound bite of a woman’s laughter. It becomes apparent at this point that there is something rotten in the state of New York. Nas notices “somethin’ swingin’ on the ceiling fan”, which turns out to be a G-sting. Nas does not react or comment on any of his findings until this point. Although there is clear evidence of infidelity, he says nothing but “Thought about my nine-side glock but somethin’ made me disregard it”. The brief glimpse into what is going through his mind seems to indicate a concern for his safety and perhaps his girlfriend’s, not a flash of anger. Although the picture, which he himself has painted, is crystal clear, he “disregard[s]” it, continues up the stairs “to where the noise and music was at.” Upon reaching his destination, he again does not react, but this time for a different reason, as he states that he is “frozen” and simply “couldn’t react” to what he sees:
Bedroom door opened a crack, seen wifey layin’ with some nigga mumblin’ shit, he had one hand on her ass and she was rubbin’ his dick, toastin’ wine glasses- cherry scented candles was lit, couldn't handle the shit
It is at this point, when he sees the result of all the signs he encountered, that he believes what is actually going on. Again, the senses are invoked: they are mumbling to each other, which indicates that the nature of their conversation is unclear. What is made very clear is the fact that Nas’ girlfriend is cheating on him with another man. The image
60 of the two adulterers naked in bed, touching each other coupled with the sound of glass clinking and the smell of cherry candles burning anchor our senses in the moment, and prove to be too much for Nas to handle:
Searchin’ for words I found none, without a sound I left the house with a sick smile and took my gun Now I'm out buggin’, wildin’, what I'm goin’ do? Call my man, Horace- “meet me outside, I'm comin’ through.”
For the first time in the entire piece, our narrator is speechless. The entire poem has been brought to life by his description, and he, who has been so eloquent thus far, finds himself “searching for words” to no avail. The reality of the situation shocks him and seems to catch him by surprise, despite the fact that all the signs were there. As he leaves the house in silence, with a “sick smile” and his gun, we become aware of his state of mind. There is something brewing in his mind, and although it is not clear to him or to the audience, it cannot be good because as his state of “buggin’, wildin’”, indecision, and particularly his smile indicate, it is likely to be “sick.” Upon calling his friend Horace to pick him up, the song’s chorus, which expresses his shock, disappointment, disillusion, and discontent, comes in and repeats twice, allowing the audience to see how the narrator internalizes what he has just witnessed:
I thought you loved me I thought you’d care for me I thought you needed me Didn’t you believe in me?
The next verse begins with Nas’ friend, Horace, picking him up and going for a ride. Got up with Horace, sure the look on my face was mad lost I ain't know whether to cry or just, try to laugh it off "Son you home early - they wiped you out that quick?"
61 I said, "Nah," showed him the plastic with nine in the clip Hopped in the whip, popped in the disc, pressed play To the Grand Central, from the Van Wyck Expressway
Horace instantly senses that something is troubling Nas, but assumes that he lost a large sum of money during his trip to Vegas, noting Nas’ early return and asking, “they wiped you out that quick?” Nas’ response to Horace’s ribbing is austere and grim. He simply says, “Nah,” and flashes Horace his handgun, a gesture that insinuates that his troubles are serious and require immediate and severe action. Nas then elaborates:
I said, "Bet you'll never guess in a million years what I just saw happenin’ - and probably still is Snuck in my crib - some nigga fuckin’ my Wiz I saw them, they ain't see me, I ducked and I slid I'm a grab shorty, I need you to grab the nigga for me" Just when I thought I found love, she shitted on me Shopped in Vegas, a present, for our engagement Twenty G's on a ring I would have hit her today with My surprise couldn't match the one she had for me We pulled up, he was walkin’ out the house backwardly Parked in the back of my house, they couldn't see us Ran to the side of my house, cocked the heater Walked to the front when I talked he had junk Bitch tried to slam the door shut, got caught in Horace foot
It is in these bars that Nas lets us know how he feels after internalizing the events of the first verse. He offers Horace a brief recap of what he saw and then explains the effects that it has had on him, stating that he feels like she shit on him just as he was beginning to feel that he had found true love. We also learn that he intended proposing to his girlfriend, having spent twenty thousand dollars on a ring. His disillusionment and
62 heartbreak are best summed up in the line, “My surprise couldn’t match the one she had for me.” The plan of action that Nas and Horace settle upon is simple: Nas will “grab” the girl and Horace is to “grab” the philanderer. They return to the house and see the man walking out of the house with his back to them. They park in the back of the house and run up the side to surprise the couple; by this time, Nas has readied his handgun. As Nas calls out to the man, the man reacts by trying to run back into the house. Horace prevents him from retreating by putting his foot in the door. Nas continues:
Shot the Spanish kid in the rib, drug him in Grabbed her face, “Say goodbye to your undercover friend” One between the eye, she died, by mistake Must've held the gat too tight, pointed at her face Heard somebody knock, Horace helped me hide the bodies Heard sirens, I guess we goin’ out like kamikazes We surrounded, red lights flashin’, who's inside? Came out a bullhorn, I'm contemplatin’ suicide
After shooting the “Spanish kid,” Nas unintentionally shoots his girlfriend in the head, stating that he held the gun too tightly while grabbing her face. Horace then helps him hide the bodies after somebody, quite possibly an inquiring neighbor, knocks on the door. It is interesting to note Nas’ mindset when he hears police sirens and realizes that the house is surrounded by the police, “guess we goin’ out like kamikazes.” He has already made up his mind to not surrender to the authorities. He hears someone speaking on a bullhorn and realizes that the situation is excessively bleak. He knows that it is unlikely that anyone would believe that the murder of his girlfriend was accidental, especially since they killed her lover. Furthermore, his mind seems to be racing, as if it has not yet come to terms with what has happened. Pleading his case before a judge and throwing himself at the mercy of anyone is not an option, and it does not seem to be an option for Horace either:
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Horace asked me for the Mac, he gave me dap, one love Cocked the strap, then he ran out the back Mad shots couldn't tell what was goin’ on Sat on the floor near my dead girl, put her in my arms Pulled her ring out my pocket I was savin’ Put it on her ring finger cocked the glock, and started prayin’ to Muhammad and Allah, “the most beneficial through you, all things are possible, I know you're listenin’”
Horace takes Nas’ “Mac” or Mac 10, and gives him “dap,” a gesture of greeting or in this case farewell, and runs out of the back of the house. The resulting “mad shots” leave Nas in a state of further confusion. Horace’s fate remains unknown, but it is likely that he is gunned down in a hail of bullets. In a state of total shock and disbelief, Nas goes through with what he had intended before his world came crashing down: he pulls the would-be engagement ring from his pocket and places it on her finger. He readies his handgun begins praying:
“I never meant for this to happen, I never dreamed this would be my fate, such a grotesque murder scene”
But his prayers are interrupted when the police make a forcible entry into the house, intruding upon the couple’s intimate yet morbid moment:
On that note, same time, the cops busted in Kissed my lady, her blood on my lips, I said, "Amen" Put the nine to my head, pulled the hammer, held her close Squeezed the toast, said to her, "Now unto God, we elope … we elope.”
As the police enter, Nas joins his fiancé in the next life. Despite the fact that she was unfaithful to him, Nas remains faithful to her. With a second bullet, they elope.
64 Rather than live without her or let himself be judged by his fellow man, Nas throws himself at the mercy of a higher power and into the arms of his fiancé. As the verse comes to an end, a single gunshot is heard, accompanied by the sound of a body slumping over. Footsteps are then heard approaching. A cop is then heard muttering “stupid fucking niggers” as he enters the room. This one phrase is perhaps the most poignant of the whole piece. Nas offers some intriguing social commentary with those three words. The officer’s tone of voice is one of resentment and disgust. He has come upon a situation in which he is unaware of the detail and does not understand what the individuals, particularly Nas, has gone through. Instead of feeling sorry for the deceased individuals inside the house, he dismisses them with a statement of ignorant prejudice. He does not take into consideration the fact that the dead man before him has worked hard to overcome the odds and become successful, he sees him only as a “nigger”. He offers no condolences, only hate. The fact that Nas has suffered an extremely traumatic, life altering/ending experience means nothing to the officer. To him, all the money, success, and achievement amount to nothing because Nas is ultimately, in the officer’s estimation, nothing more that a “stupid fucking nigger.” Nas’ critique extends past a single police officer; the officer represents everyone who is blinded by ignorance. Nas is pointing out that racism is very much alive. There are many people in today’s society that do not fully assess the people, situations, and facts that they encounter on a daily basis. Many people who encounter young African Americans and other minorities are incapable of looking at them without seeing past their own presuppositions and assumptions. There are many members of society who cannot fathom that an individual such as Nas could compose a poetic piece like “Undying Love”. Nas demonstrates an uncanny command of sensory detail which he uses to drive the narrative and create suspense. His use of characterization, rhyme, wordplay, and other literary devices help create powerful poems that deal with important social issues and raise awareness about the life that Nas and other members of the Hip Hop community live each day. Though some may choose to remain ignorant despite Nas’ warning, no one can deny that “Undying Love” is a work of poetic brilliance.
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CONCLUSION Both Hip Hop and the emcee break boundaries; the emcee destroys the conventional perception of a poet as well as the boundary between poetry and prose, while Hip Hop generates a language and a culture for those that would not otherwise have one and for those who identify with and appreciate its ethos. Hip Hop’s engagement of language has yielded not only a powerful form of poetry, but new poetic traditions as well. Though rapping, writing rhymes, and freestyling follow earlier oral traditions, the freestyle battle and rhyming in a cypher provide a unique method of interacting with language that yields a highly innovative, highly creative form of poetry. Writing rhymes provide the emcee with an opportunity to create poetry that demonstrates a unique command of language and literary devices. Through the process of penning his rhymes, the emcee displays his knock for finding the right words and rhymes that allow him to create powerful metaphors, similes, and other forms of wordplay. Through his poetry, the emcee seeks to shape language in order to uncover innovative forms of expressions and significance. He explores the relationship between the word and the world, uncovering different patterns and meanings that add clarity, as well as flavor, to a language that often muddles meaning and reality. The emcee’s experiments with words often involve fragmenting and disorienting the word to form lines that are difficult to recognize and decipher at first, due to the fact that they offer new meaning, purpose, and clarity. The emcee’s literary contributions may not have yet earned him a place in the academic canon, but their lyrical and poetic work have propelled them to a place among popular culture’s elite. This thesis has explored the various methods Hip Hop uses to create its poetry. Constantly interacting with language, the emcee has proves that he is a poet worthy of critical analysis and recognition. Applying a literary critic’s eye and ear to Hip Hop’s poetry has provided insight into the process of crafting rhymes as well as an in-depth
66 analysis of the several poems. Hip Hop’s poetry yields insight into a unique understanding of the world and the word. Though this thesis in no way constitutes a complete analysis of all the poetry Hip- Hop produces, it provides a probe into Hip Hop’s poetic contributions. Furthermore, it offers an analysis that uncovers how the emcee creates his poetry and the effects of his interaction with language, one that engages audiences. Because reality is not universal and is in fact contingent upon how each individual perceives and interprets each word, the emcee galvanizes his audience’s cognitive and interpretive sensibilities into action. Each individual is called to understand each word, therefore providing a meaning, and then perhaps realize that there are other meanings, thus actively participating in the process of understanding that leads to meaning, or what each word was intended to suggest. After all, it is the members of a community that ultimately decide how language affects them; their interaction with language forms a culture that helps define their identities. The emcee, Hip Hop culture’s most audible spokesman, takes an active role in influencing language, consequently influencing an entire culture. Hip Hop poetry is an artistic form that is always being updated, constantly evolving; it is a form that is teeming with life. Creating poetry is an act the emcee performs, but it is also an act he lives.
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ENDNOTES 1This quote was taken from a lecture I personally attended at Florida State’s Club Down Under on April 11, 2006. KRS One discussed several aspects and current events concerning Hip Hop culture. The quotes were tape recorded for accuracy and easy transcription. 2This interview was conducted on February 3, 2006. The quotes were tape recorded for accuracy and easy transcription. No animals were harmed in the interviewing process, but some beats did get ripped up. 3This observation is not meant to single out any artist or point fingers, but rather to emphasize the impact that the written word has on Hip Hop’s poetry. Though the poetry is often experienced sonically, an intangible method of experiencing the poetry, care must be taken when the words are placed on the page because printing the words is an act that transfers and affixes them into a tangible, visible realm. 4Since there are no official lyrics to “Straight Outta Compton,” I was forced to listen to the song countless times in order to the most accurate transcription possible. I attempted to contact Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, their websites, their webmasters, their fan clubs, and their record labels on several occasions in hopes of getting the official lyrics, but received no comment or response. I am confident that the margin of error in minimal despite the fact that there is no official transcript to use as a guide. By official, I mean that there is no transcript of this song that is approved by Ice Cube or Dr. Dre. 5Since there are no official lyrics to “No Surrender,” I was forced to listen to the song countless times in order to the most accurate transcription possible. I attempted to contact Bone Thugs N Harmony, their website, their webmaster, their fan club, and their record label on several occasions in hopes of getting the official lyrics, but received no comment or response. I am confident that the margin of error in minimal despite the fact that there is no official transcript to use as a guide. By official, I mean that there is no transcript of this song that is approved by Bone Thugs N Harmony.
68 6Since there are no official lyrics to “Kill You,” I was forced to listen to the song countless times in order to the most accurate transcription possible. I attempted to contact Eminem, his website, his webmaster, his fan club, and his record label on several occasions in hopes of getting the official lyrics, but received no comment or response. I am confident that the margin of error in minimal despite the fact that there is no official transcript to use as a guide. By official, I mean that there is no transcript of this song that is approved by Eminem. 7Since there are no official lyrics to “Patiently Waiting,” I was forced to listen to the song countless times in order to the most accurate transcription possible. I attempted to contact Eminem, his website, his webmaster, his fan club, and his record label on several occasions in hopes of getting the official lyrics, but received no comment or response. I am confident that the margin of error in minimal despite the fact that there is no official transcript to use as a guide. By official, I mean that there is no transcript of this song that is approved by Eminem. 8Since there are no official lyrics to “Flip Flop Rock,” I was forced to listen to the song countless times in order to the most accurate transcription possible. I attempted to contact Jay-Z, his website, his webmaster, his fan club, and his record label on several occasions in hopes of getting the official lyrics, but received no comment or response. I am confident that the margin of error in minimal despite the fact that there is no official transcript to use as a guide. By official, I mean that there is no transcript of this song that is approved by Jay-Z. 9This song was transcribed entirely by ear. Since there are no official lyrics, even on the liner notes of the album, “I Am…,” I was forced to listen to the song countless times. I attempted to contact Nas, his website, his webmaster, his fan club, and his record label on several occasions in hopes of getting the official lyrics, but received no comment or response. I am unsure as to the name of Nas’ partner in crime. I found it odd that his friend would be named “Horse”, which seemed to be the consensus on all online lyric data bases. I opted to transcribe the name as Horace, which sounds like “horse”, but is an actual name. I am confident that the margin of error is minimal despite the fact that there
69 is no official transcript to use as a guide. By official, I mean that there is no transcript of this song that is approved by Nas.
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REFERENCES The Art of 16 Bars. Dir. Peter Spirer. DVD. Image Entertainment, 2005.
Chang, Jeff. Can't Stop, Won't Stop: a History of the Hip-Hop Generation. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005.
Eleveld, Mark, ed. The Spoken Word Revolution: (Slam, Hip Hop, and the Poetry of a New Generation. Naperville: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2003.
Freestyle: the Art of Rhyme. Dir. Kevin Fitzgerald. DVD. Palm Pictures, 2004.
The MC. Dir. Peter Spirer. DVD. Image Entertainment, 2004.
Markman, Rob. “Plies: I’m a thug.” XXL. July 2006, pp. 54.
Matthews, Adam. “Self-Destruction.” The Source. July 2006, pp. 62-68.
Nelson, George. Hip Hop America. New York: Penguin Group, 1998.
Perry, Imani. Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop. Durham & London: Duke University Press, 2005.
Quickly, Jerry. “Hip Hop Poetry.” The Spoken Word Revolution. Ed. Eleveld, Mark. Naperville: Sourcebooks, Inc. 2003.
Rose, Tricia. Black Noise. Middletown: Wesleylan University Press, 1994.
Stic.man. The Art of Emcee-ing. Atlanta: Boss Up, Inc., 2005.
Sobol, John. Digitopia Blues: Race, Technology, and the American Voice. Banff, AB: The Banff Center Press, 2002.
Turner, Khary Kimani. “KRS One: Life.” The Source. July 2006, pp. 118.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Cepeda, Raquel, ed. And It Don'T Stop: the Best American Hip-Hop Journalism of the Last 25 Years. New York: Faber and Faber, Inc., 2004.
Costello, Mark and David Foster Wallace. Signifying Rappers: Rap and Race in the Urban Present. New Jersey: The Ecco Press, 1996.
Ferrell, Jeff. Crimes of Style: Urban Graffiti and the Politics of Criminality. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1996.
Flores, Juan. From Bomba to Hip-Hop: Puerto Rican Culture and Latino Identity. New York: Columbia UP, 2000.
Forman, Murray. The 'Hood Comes First: Race, Space, and Place in Rap and Hip-Hop. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press, 2002.
Gates, Jr, Henry Louis. The Signifying Monkey: a Theory of African-American Literary Criticism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
HipHop 101: the Game. Dir. Gregory Cassagnol. DVD. Win Media Corporation, 2003.
Light, Alan. The Vibe History of Hip Hop. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999.
Neal, Mark Anthony. That's the Joint!: the Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Ed. Murray Forman. New York: Routledge, 2004.
Perkins, William Eric, ed. The Vibe History of Hip Hop. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1996.
Sitomer, Alan, and Michael Cirelli. Hip-Hop Poetry and the Classics. Beverly Hills: Milk Mug, 2004.
Watkins, Craig S. Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement. Boston: Beacon Press, 2005.
72 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Alejandro Leonel Nodarse was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He began his undergraduate career in Florida International University, studied at Framingham State College for a year, and returned to Florida International to complete his B.A. in English Literature. He minored in History and Visual Arts and received a Certificate of Pre- Modern Cultures. Alejandro received his Masters degree in English Literature from Florida State University in 2006 and continues his work with the Poetics of Hip Hop. In addition to writing and studying poetry, his interests include painting and sculpting.
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