Lyricism in hiphop can't die
Lyricism has been reported dead more times than Presidents Yar’Adua and Buhari put together.
Lyricism
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This particular concern over rap lyrics has been around for decades, both on the local and foreign scenes but let’s stick to what obtains at home in Naija.
While I have done my own share of complaining (actually more than just a fair share to be very honest), I have come to the realization that most times we are selfishly and unrealistically unfair to these artistes in our demand for what we term “better/deeper lyrics”.
Lyricism, in a nutshell is an artist(e)'s expression of emotion in an imaginative and beautiful way.
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Going by the definition above, the ambiguity in the terms “imaginative” and “beautiful” knows no bounds. These 2 terms are subject to all sorts of interpretation. Artistes, as well as consumers are human beings. Human beings operate at different levels of intellect. This applies to everything they do from choice of clothes to choice of words.
A closer look at these ambiguous words as concerns lyricism should help drive my point home. “Imaginative”(having or showing creativity/inventiveness) lyrics are showcased at 2 levels; either in the song concept as Vector did with Mary Jane(2010) or at the bar level like a Mode9(Formidable,2003),M.I(Safe 2008),AQ(Legacy,2017),Boogey(Sanctum,2013) etc would do with witty lines, double entendre and rhyme schemes.
Vector masks an ode to marijuana in very relatable witty lines; the whole track can be seen as a double entendre while there’s no shortage of wordplay on the other tracks listed at bar level. On the other hand, you have rap artistes like Falz,Lil Kesh, Phyno, Olamide etc, reaching their fans with a brand of lyricism that is so different from the “norm” that many a time we fail to recognize their lyrical prowess simply because it isn’t being done the way we’ve been used to.
The word “beautiful” is even on a higher level of ambiguity than “imaginative”. Pleasing the mind/senses aesthetically can be achieved in a variety of ways.
Beautiful lyrics can inspire all sorts of feelings and/or emotions. So my questions are…do we get caught in all these feelings because the lyrics are beautiful or are the lyrics beautiful because they inspire these feelings? What then happens if the same lyrics don’t inspire the same reactions in 2 different listeners? Whose opinion do we listen to? Beauty they say lies in the ear (eye) of the listener (beholder). Ambiguity at its finest!
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Before I go any further, let me make it clear that I am a hip-hop purist. My friends who love hip-hop think I am “too hip-hop”. I have a bias for a certain level of intellect…a level higher up the scale, but I have come to be more realistic hence, less sentimental about lyricism especially in Naija Hip-hop.
I have also come to learn that we possess an elitist mentality when trying to rate lyricism over here. A rapper who spits in English will almost always be picked over one who delivers his lyrics in pidgin or any other local dialect. From the definition of lyricism we came across, we can all agree that language doesn’t matter….or at least should not matter.
What these elitist minds fail to see (or maybe see but don’t accept) is the yawning chasm between their favorite lyricist’s expectation (feeling they’ve murdered a beat and the fans would go crazy) and the outcome (fan’s honest reaction to this supposedly killer lyrics) of their exploits on a track.
This argument about lyricism (or the dearth of it) will never go away. While the purists would prefer lyrics that will have them thinking long and hard to decipher meanings or wordplay that leaves you tongue tired when you try to rap along, there will always be a crowd that prefers the simple and easy lyrics and rhymes schemes.
These 2 sets of people will never run out artistes to listen to. And because hip-hop/rap is such a competitive endeavor, the creators of this content will always want to arm their followers with adequate ammunition to fight (and maybe win) these debates. It is in the DNA of a rapper to try to be better than the next MC…or better still, better than himself on his last verse.
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My take on lyricism is simple…whether you’re doing it for the nuclear physicist or for the bus conductor, if your thoughts and emotions are put together so much that a clear and precise picture is painted when your lyrics are heard thereby drawing out the desired emotions from the listener, you my friend, are a dope lyricist!
Lyricism will never die; it will morph from how we met it. The subject matter will change. The delivery style will be tweaked but ultimately, will always endure!
Tersoo “T-Rexx” Abaagu (@TersooT_rexx on Twitter) is not a writer. He is merely a lover of the lifestyle and art of hiphop, and also a devout sneakerhead. In his spare time(he’s got a lot) he offers A&R/services to his artiste friends.
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