Hip-Hop: The Most Influential Form of Poetry.

Hip-hop has been impacting the culture of American society for about three-decades now, and it has proven to be one of the most influential forms of poetry in modern times. Poetic techniques used by hip-hop artists have “their own distinctive sound, development, and offshoots.” (pg. 223) Hip-hop is definitely an acquired taste, since you must know how to listen to it if you want to understand it. There are two main parts of the hip-hop form; rhyme and flow. In early underground patterns of many “raps”, the classic abab or abcb rhyme pattern was used, but it has changed throughout generations as different artists have influenced the “rap game.” Flow is “the way the words fit with the music or beat” (pg. 223), and a rapper’s flow usually defines their skill. Amazing rappers use both clever lyricism and an insane flow to keep listeners interested to hear the next line. “Freestyling”, or “improvising rhymes to vocalized, established beats” (pg. 224), uses flow as the crucial component when testing a rapper’s ability. Content and lyrics matter, but if a rapper or rap influenced poet’s flow is “on-point”, they can get away with mediocre word choice. On the other hand, if one’s flow doesn’t work, it won’t matter if the lyrics are brilliant, the song will still “fall-off.” Hip-hop form is also about the relationship between the rapper and the producer/DJ. Morris says “a rapper must modulate tone, voicing, and inflection so that they complement the other sounds.” (pg. 226) The DJ manipulates the sound “by using familiar or strikingly foreign material” (pg. 226), which sets the context for the artist, and affects the style of the form which they will use. Hip-hop has been the main force behind the resurgence of the “spoken word” movement, and rappers have made poetic form more relevant in current times. Hip-hop rhyming is a “mass-media phenomenon at this point” (pg. 227), and rappers and rap influenced poets deserve recognition for using their talent to speak in a voice that is relevant to their generation, as well as using the form to explore unconventional themes. Poetry’s purpose is to allow the author to express themselves, and I think that hip-hop artists use music, rhyme, flow, and the poetic form itself to express themselves in the most enjoyable way possible.

Morris, Tracie. “Hip-Hop Rhyme Formations: Open Your Ears.” An Exaltation of Forms: Contemporary Poets Celebrate the Diversity of Their Art. Eds. Annie Finch & Katherine Varnes. Ann Arbor: U. of Michigan Press, 2002.