Written By:Tosin Ajogbeje/Date:2021-05-16
Before the evolution of mumble rap, there was the eloquently and clearly provocative lyrics that I wholly embraced. As a 90’s kid, my musical taste was all-round until I found rap to be more vibrant and uplifting.
Of course, my fondness for musical genres like: Rock, Reggae, Pop, EDM and Country knows no bounds. It wasn’t the pounding rhythmic piece of Hip-hop that I found enthralling. It wasn’t about the blasting sirens and the F-bombs or cuss words likewise. A transformative moment for me was hearing perceptive songs that echoed socio-economic issues and marginalization in the context of welfare.Rap groups like Public Enemy and NWA brought that “realness” and raw intensity to their sounds and their social commentaries were unmatched to others. As I look back to my teenage years, I collected rap albums and would not only listen but write the lyrics down just to feel like I was the one rapping. By the time I entered high school in 2001, other musical forces aside from Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G, Rakim, Queen Latifah, Jay-Z and NAS brought in a whole new culture. Let’s start with Eminem. Marshall Mathers, known as Eminem was and still is a lyrical genius no doubt. Not surprised that his Marshall Mathers LP, became the lyrically acclaimed, RIAA-certified diamond exception. His deep punchlines remain one of a kind. Without a doubt one can’t ignore the profanity that rap music sometimes pours out. I don’t support misogynist remarks made by rappers like Eminem. Knowing that most of the rap verses are improvised to sell records, I settle mostly with the intellectually solid lyrics and brainy message.
So here is why I fell in love with hip-hop.
The storytelling strategy infused in hip-hop is a great start and therapeutic. When you listen to the A-list content of rappers like Rakim, Common or Nas, you can hear the poetic tales of their struggles and the politics of race in the society. Listening to insightful rap lyrics enabled me to craft poetic messages based on learning and self-reflection. Analyzing rap content enabled me to smoothly put together poetry and generic stories in a way that sets the tone for conversations. For example, rappers like Nas have the ability to put the listener on the spot and experience the journey creatively. When it comes down to specificity and aligning wordplay with one’s writing process, hip-hop brings the game to the table. No doubt Black artists have shaped a huge role in shaping music, especially hip-hop for hundreds of years. To be Black is awesome. As a Black woman, I can say hip-hop has impacted my artistry and my storytelling techniques. Like Nas said in Ether, “Name a rapper that I ain’t influence”. Correction, name a writer that I ain’t influence lol.
Now we have great rappers like Childish Gambino, Chance the Rapper, J. Cole, and the remarkable Kendrick Lamar who creatively get a message across that leaves a lasting impression. For copywriters and storytellers like myself, creating memorable content for a wider audience can be achieved by evoking emotion in one’s writing. Rap gave me the permission to always identify the protagonist authentically in any text, write persuasively and tell impactful stories that explore all things. Because storytelling is a big part of me, I can say hip-hop changed my life.
References:
Google photos: Brown Sugar/Movie
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