People often think that rappers are uneducated. I strongly disagree.
Like the geek that I am, I marvel at the figurative language so often used in rap songs. People often forget that rap is often just poetry set to music. The subject matter may not be about "Dover Beach" or "wandering clouds" or "bells" (reference to Arnold, Wordsworth and Poe respectively), but their art is equally as creative and well thought out. Rappers go about expressing themselves in a more crude and admittedly more vulgar way that classic poets, but their expression are equally (if not more so) relatable.
If I had to count how many metaphors, similes, analogies, puns, allusions and plain ol' word play was in one of my favorite Lil' Wayne songs, I'd need a few extra pairs of hands. For example "You must stand under me if you don't understand me". The word play literally makes me laugh from its cleverness.
In addition, most rappers have knowledge from a broad range of music. My stations on Pandora ranges every genre and decade from 18th century classical music to today's hip hop, pop, rap etc. So, its so exciting when I hear a reference to Lesley Gore's 1965 song "It's my party" in Drake's newest single "Take Care" or a reference to some significant historical event.
Rappers are neither nor uneducated. They are extremely intelligent businessmen and women who often own their own companies, record labels, clothing lines etc. They are are well versed in English, history, the arts, and math. Though they may not look or act the way today's society deems "intelligent" or "polished", that is exactly what they are.
That is all.
The problem I have with some rappers (i.e. Lil' Wayne) is that he perpetuates the stereotype of dumb ass black people. Him and Young Money. All they do, if you really pay attention is rap about the same shit. All the time. Money, cars, bitches...its get tired after a while. Even if they do have good metaphors they do nothing to create change with their music. Its still the same topics covered in the 90s. I'm tired of everytime I listen to a Lil Wayne song, the majority of them are about the same shit, with him sounding like....I have no words to what he sounds like. And that goes for Nicki Minaj and Drake too. Soon as they make it big, (well I'll exclude Nicki from this group) all his music, I should say talks about the same shit. Nicki is just something else completely. Her complete style has changed, even from her Beam Me Up Scotty Mixtape, which I loved. Every song of hers, almost, is her sayinig something that makes no sense and doing her crazy ra ra voice on it. It gets tired.
ReplyDeleteSo, to basicly sum up the comment, they may be intelligent, but the topic matter is extremely repetitive, which makes them seem stupid. Its like, you have nothing else to rap about? How intelligent are you really?