Understanding Rhymes. Rap Flow. Lyrical Content

Someone writing lyrics for vocal performance in Hip Hop might consider themselves a lyricist, rapper, emcee, and/or multiple other labels. We will use these terms interchangeably for the purpose of this chapter, but for some, there are important distinctions between them and definitions are not entirely consistent across the culture. Regardless, an emcee might write lyrics without an instrumental and find a beat later, or they may write to an already chosen beat. They might have composed the beat themselves, they might have purchased or leased it from a producer, or they might have found a free beat available online. For music educators, it is worth knowing that not all producers rap, and not all rappers make beats. The possibility for students choosing roles in a music classroom setting might be worth considering.

Just like our previous section on beats, our description of the lyrical elements of Hip Hop will be necessarily reductionist. The art form is complex, it is full of individual approaches and exceptions to rules, and it continues to rapidly evolve faster than we can even write this chapter. What we offer next is simply a set of concepts that will hopefully help music educators better understand rapping and lyrical content in Hip Hop.

Rap Flow. As lyricists establish personal styles as artists, the development of a rap flow is key. We describe flow as consisting of three elements: rhyme, rhythm, and delivery. In terms of rhyming, there are many different types of rhymes, including perfect rhymes, near rhymes, slant rhymes, forced rhymes, semi-rhymes, multi syllable rhymes, and more. It is common for an emcee to employ many types of rhymes throughout a verse or song. The more creative the rhyming is, the larger the available vocabulary becomes for the songwriter. Just as important as the types of rhymes, the location of these rhymes also makes a big difference in a rapper’s flow. Many beginners may focus on end rhymes (where the last syllable of one-l ine rhymes with another), complex combinations of internal rhymes, split rhymes that run over the bar, or holorhyme that rhymes every syllable of one line with every syllable of another provides a world of possibilities for lyricists.

In addition to the types and locations of rhymes, flow is also affected by the rhythmic cadence a rapper uses. This is largely informed by their particular feeling of subdivision on a given instrumental. For example, given the same instrumental, different rappers might rap 16th note patterns, eighth note patterns, or triplet patterns. Some rappers might do all three in the same verse. The rhythmic element of rap flow will also be affected by an emcee’s relationship to the beat—whether they rap on the beat, rush ahead, or drag behind. Finally, a rapper’s delivery is the last ingredient of their flow and again can include endless variation and opportunities for individuality. When we say delivery, we refer to the tone, dialect, phrasing, pronunciation of words, and other verbal characteristics that make an artist’s voice distinct. Ultimately, it is the combination of an emcee’s approach to rhyming, their rhythmic cadence, and their particular vocal delivery that constitutes their individual rap flow.

Lyrical Content. While rap flow refers to how an artist delivers their lyrics, what they are saying—their lyrical content—i s arguably even more important. For music educators, we suggest considering three areas to better understand how lyrical content works in Hip Hop: 1. Employing metaphors, wordplay, and intertextual references; 2. Responding to context; and 3. Speaking truth to power. Many Hip Hop scholars refer to Gates’s (2014) description of the African American practice of signifyin(g) when speaking about the layers of meaning found in Hip Hop lyrics. It is indeed common for rappers to use complex metaphors and creative wordplay to provide multiple meanings in their lyrics. For example, when Jay-Z raps that he “ain’t one of these house niggas you bought” on Meek Mill’s “What’s Free” track, he is referring to President Donald Trump appointing African American Ben Carson as the US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The use of “house nigga” has multiple meanings as both an insult to Carson and his proximity and loyalty to Trump and a reference to the government position to which Carson was appointed. From Jay-Z’s perspective, Ben Carson is a “house nigga” on multiple levels.

This practice of signifyin(g), plus the use of intertextual references (Soderman & Folkestad, 2004)—including making reference to other songs, movies, video games, and other media—often rewards listeners for their understanding or confounds listeners who do not grasp the reference or meaning. In this way, lyrical content can position listeners as insiders or outsiders. Music educators should expect to be on the outside fairly often. Engaging in discussions with students and making use of resources like Genius (http://www.genius.com) should help with unpacking the layers of meanings in existing lyrics, and better understanding how rappers employ these practices might inspire students to engage in more complex and meaningful lyric-writing themselves.

Connected to our previous section about the cultural considerations of engaging with Hip Hop, music educators should also consider the importance of lyricists responding to their own contexts. As we have described earlier, Hip Hop artists are expected to be genuine, innovate, and develop their own style. The same is true regarding their lyrical content. Part of being genuine means speaking to your own life experiences and representing your own neighborhood. While students may take inspiration from a Compton rapper, their own lyrical compositions should speak to issues in their own surroundings.

This practice has shown powerful possibilities for young people in recent research studies (Evans, 2020; Hess, 2018a). Finally, it is always worth remembering Hip Hop’s imperative to speak truth to power. As Hodge (2018) argued, “Hip Hop was, and still is, a way to construct thought, question authority and express anger, frustration, hate, revolutionary world-views and rebellious spirits” (p. 15). Keeping this ethic in mind during lyric writing in classroom activities is likely key to unlocking some of the more transformative possibilities of Hip Hop in music education.