Has it

[Erthona]

This will piss some people off; Rap is not poetry, they do not function the same way. Rap is based on sonics to create a syncopated beat. Rap, the lyrics does not function well without the rap music. This is because that like regular song lyrics it is written with the music contribution in mind. Unlike a "regular" song, rap is never based on formal poetry, so it is solely based on how it's rhythmical beat plays against the music. Even when rap is preformed without music (which is generally not a pretty sight), the performer will still create percussive sounds using the voice, or stomping and slapping. Rap simply does not function well without extra-percussive syncopated sounds to play off of. The rhymes are used as an extra-percussive point. This is why they happen so frequently and often with a large group playing off the same rhyme sound. Rhyme is not used this way in poetry for two reasons: it seems silly within the confines of a poem and the percussive effect of the lines either are not picked by the reader, or they are too obvious. Oftentimes, by lesser artist, when the rap lyrics are read without the benefit of the music, and especially without knowledge of the music, rap lyrics seem obvious and juvenile. This goes back to the goal of rap music. To reach it's audience the lyrics must be somewhat simple, if written with the subtle complexity and extended metaphor of poetry (at least good poetry), no one in the audience would know what the singer is talking about. So, even though rap may appear to poetry snobs as being inferior, it is simply a difference in it's goal, which is different from poetry. One cannot use poetry critiquing techniques on rap. Run through the framework of poetry most of the lyrics for a rap song, would be tossed out as immature and childish, especially the excess rhyme. I talked to Billy (the owner) about things like slam poetry and rap needing its own forum. He said people should put it in the Miscellaneous forum. An overview of what that category is for: "non mainstream poetry/Prose and Lyrics etc." I would suggest when you post in that section note that these are rap lyrics (although generally obvious) and you wish for them to be critiqued that way. Personally I would prefer that the music was with it, as it is difficult to judge the rhythmical quality without it, or maybe bold the words you want to emphasized in terms of the beat. Also without the music it is difficult to see how it is phrased. In music one can base a phrase on triplets or quarter notes for a particular phrase, and then use a mixture of quarter notes and dotted eight notes for another (an over simplified example). This will give varying line lengths. Without the music it is difficult to tell if the lyrics are awkward or just phrased differently. As such I would not feel secure in critiquing rap lyrics even if I felt qualified.

Best,

Dale