Hip hop poetry uses words and phrases similar to those in hip hop music lyrics, with rhythm and rhyme being important. It is often delivered or performed with improvisation. Some discount it as poetry, but others embrace it as a way to make poetry more interesting for younger generations. Hip hop has roots in rapping and DJ voiceovers, with both hip hop and traditional poetry using rhythm, rhyming techniques, symbolism, alliteration, and similes. However, hip hop’s subject matter and tone often differ from classical poetry. Advocates see hip hop poetry as a way to introduce younger generations to traditional poems.
Hip hop poetry is a style of poetry that embraces words and phrases similar to those in hip hop music lyrics. As with traditional poetry, rhythm and rhyme are important in the hip hop genre, although the styles are significantly different. Traditional poetry is also more often written and then read from a page, while hip hop poetry may be written but then delivered or performed; improvisation often comes into play during such a performance. Some discount hip hop as a poetic style, but others say hip hop music lyrics have always been poetry, and they embrace hip hop poetry as a way to make the study of poetry more interesting for the younger generation.
Poetry is defined as using language in a way that utilizes its aesthetic quality. It is not simply about using words to convey information, but to create or express emotion. Hip hop has its primary roots in rapping and the disc jockey’s voiceovers while performing rhythm and blues songs. The music is sometimes changed to create various patterns or rhythms that complement the lyrics.
One of the most obvious similarities between hip hop and traditional poetry is the use of rhythm, or a beat, to provide language. Both art forms use rhythm by arranging words to form a certain meter. Hip hop tends to use rap and music to accentuate this beat, while classical poetry is delivered without music and relies on the person reading it to discover the beat.
Traditional poetry and hip hop lyrics often use the same rhyming techniques. Some syllables of words can be rhymed, for example. Even the last word of any phrase or sentence can be rhymed. Traditional poetry also uses language to convey something beyond the literal meaning of words. Symbolism, using one thing to represent another, is a common technique in both poetry and hip hop.
Alliteration and similes are used in both traditional poetry and hip hop poetry. One form of alliteration uses a series of words that start with the same letter. Similarities are anything that claims to be similar to something else.
Despite the similarities, some argue that hip hop poetry is nothing like traditional poetry. Some hip hop artists are so into rhyming that they string sentences together that don’t make sense, critics say. The emphasis becomes how the words work together rather than the actual meaning conveyed by the words.
The subject matter and tone of hip hop poetry also distinguishes it from classical poetry. Common themes in some hip hop songs include crime, drug use, and violence. The use of slurs or obscenities is also common in hip hop, but not necessarily in traditional poetry.
The debate over whether hip hop poetry is poetry can go on for a long time, but those who argue for its inclusion in the general category of poetry do so, in part, because they see it as a way to get younger generations interested in poetry. Many young people of the 21st century are familiar with hip hop music and its lyrics. Bringing those texts to the classroom can serve as a way to introduce new generations to traditional poems by the likes of Robert Frost, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and William Shakespeare, advocates say.
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