Okay, I get it. Rap really isn’t what it used to be.
Lately, it seems like we’ve traded lyricism and honesty for bass-knocking beats and catchy hooks. The only songs that get airtime are the ones that were probably written and recorded all within 15 minutes, so rappers don’t even have to put in any effort in order to be played on the radio, right?
Wrong. What appear to be mindless lyrics are actually well-crafted allusions and analogies that prove that rap may actually be more sophisticated than it was in the past. These six lyrics alone prove that there is still hope for people who have lost faith in the power of rap.
Or maybe I’m just reading too far into things, you decide:
1. “Versace, Versace, Versace/ Versace, Versace.” –Migos, “Versace ft. Drake”
The hook of “Versace” may seem like an asinine (and surprisingly catchy) repetition but it’s so much more. It’s a reference to a well-known trend in ancient Greek poetry and literature: the invocation of the Muse. Migos is calling upon the inspirational powers of a clothing brand that none of us can afford in order to help them perform the song, a tactic that allowed the rap group to skyrocket to the top of multiple year-end lists in 2013.
2. “Me and broke n****s, we don’t get along.” –2 Chainz, “I’m Different”
Just when you thought rap is no longer socially conscious, here comes 2 Chainz with his short but extremely effective reference to class-based struggles within the black community. How can we advance as a people when the members of the upper and lower classes can’t even get along? We have to do better.
3. “The devil is a lie, b***h, I’m the truth/ The devil is a lie, b***h I’m the proof.” –Rick Ross, “Devil Is a Lie”
The complexity of these lines rivals that of Eliot’s “Wasteland,” but after much contemplation, I have Rozay all figured out. See, the first line gives the impression that Rick Ross is the opposite of the devil, or God, since Ross is the truth and the devil is a lie. But Rick Ross isn’t God. He’s acknowledging that he’s a liar, and therefore he’s actually the devil. My theory is that the rapper feels guilty about being a former corrections officer who basically copied the persona of an L.A. drug kingpin. Still, the man is roughly 300 pounds of pure genius – and maybe like five pounds of fried chicken.
4.“Starships were meant to fly.” –Nicki Minaj, “Starships”
This single marked Nicki’s groundbreaking crossover into the pop genre, as she briefly abandoned the typical hip hop beat for more of an electropop feel. Moreover, the song is revolutionary for shedding light on an event that no other artist was discussing at the time: the retirement of NASA’s space shuttle program. For three decades we watched on as astronauts braved the dangerous conditions of spaceflight, but the program was just far too expensive. Regardless, Nicki’s words encourage NASA fans that our country’s return to space is inevitable, and helps us look forward to a future of discovery.
5. “You know I’m a stoner I love drugs and I can’t never be tooken.” –Young Thug, “Stoner”
This is frankly the most artful satirization of recreational drug use that I have ever heard. Young Thug takes on the persona of a stoner (because there’s no way he abuses drugs himself!) to demonstrate that marijuana use leads to the inability to remember the nuances of English grammar. The symbolism of the double negative and incorrect past participle can really send chills down your spine.
6. “N***a, I ain’t worried ‘bout nothin’” –French Montana, “Ain’t Worried ‘Bout Nothin’”
Again, we see the power of the double negative in today’s socially conscious rap. French is aware that the double negative implies a positive, and he’s using this to his advantage. It’s not that he’s not worried about anything, he’s worried about everything: institutionalized racism, Russia’s involvement in Ukraine, the subtle danger of paper cuts, the treatment of Bon Appetit workers, the list goes on. The poor man is so overcome with all of society’s struggles that he tries to hide his grief within this Rico Love beat, but we can all hear his pain – that ad lib that French Montana is known for (the “haaan” in the background of all of his songs) is actually him crying. But it’s okay, French. It’ll all work out eventually.
