Within the first few pages of Adam Bradley's Book of Rhymes, he wrote something that resonated with me. On page 55, he wrote "A new rhyme forges a mental pathway between distinct but sonically related related words and cares with it both linguistic and cognitive meaning. It invites the listener to tease out sematic threads embedded within the sonic fabric of the words." He continues to say that MCs don't really rhyme sounds. Instead, "they rhyme ideas." This, to me, is a perfect definition of the oral tradition. The rhyme is what makes the oral tradition ingenious. It creates a whole new definition for the words ,giving a whole idea that can be heard and interpreted by nearly anyone. Hip hop music weaves ingenuity in with creative and poignant ideas. What would hip hop be without the MCs?
Bradley goes further to assess the commodification of rap and how the rhyming is affected. Due to certain expectations that arise in our society, rap changes as society does. New rhymes are constantly being created as our society develops. With new ideas and new words constantly circulating, rappers are pulling from the world around them to create something that will always keep the audience occupied. Rappers, in a way, are kind of like anthropologists. They have to observe and understand the society around them to be able to create a piece that many people will have interest in. Unlike an anthropologist, the rapper will then use his or her observations to create a rap that can possibly have an effect on the musical sub-society. Trends and new ideas must be observed and then added into music. Music and rap is a story of time. The words and lyrics and rhymes can give insight into the time period that each song is from. The rhyme is, in a way, an instrument of history.
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Awesome! The Bradley quote you used in your first paragraph was something that really stood out to me, as well. I had never considered what the rhyme can do for the meaning of a line. It not only connects lines, but it gives a whole new set of meanings and aural experiences for the listener. I thought it was interesting how Bradley talks about how the listener is looking for that balance between familiar and unfamiliar rhyming sounds and words. Great stuff, looking forward to Monday!
ReplyDeleteI love your concept of rhyme as "an instrument of history." I think this has always been true of rhyme, even before the emergence of hip-hop, but hip-hop has turned it on its head and given it new life. Bradley's quote really captures how a good rhyme has to function both on a sonic level and on a cognitive level, and the best rappers are able to accomplish this so seamlessly that the listen does not even notice he is reconciling sounds with ideas.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts!
Katie