Rap: Art or Commerce

A common appraisal of the oft-overlooked lyricism in contemporary hip-hop is the idea that rap verses are modern poetry. Rap artists qualify for the structural paradigm of poetry self-evidently. A typical rap verse maintains a tight internal structure, rhyme scheme, and meter. But poetry is more than a series of rhymes. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, poetry can be defined as:

“imaginitive or creative literature in general”

This definition problematizes the traditional argument for the inclusion of rap lyricism into the canonical body of poetry. Sure, rap rhymes and follows a consistent structure, but the lyrics generally serve a commercial interest – selling an idea of a specific lifestyle. Moreover, the genre of rap comes along with a set of expectations over what content rap ought to present its audience. Therefore, rap lyric construction is an inherently formulaic process. This repetitive, formulaic process of song construction directly contradicts the notion of imaginative, spontaneous, and original creation that connote poetry. So, in an industrial moment like the mid 2000’s, when rap artists were expected to write songs about conspicuous consumption and the luxurious lifestyle their musical success afforded them, was there a space to be spontaneously creative?

I think Kanye West’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” is a highly creative, self-reflexive twist on the mainstream rap formula. West’s song conforms to genre expectations wholeheartedly. The chorus, “Wait till I get my money…/then you can’t tell me nothing” Demonstrates the typical attitude of a young, successful rap artist egotistically flaunting their wealth. Yet the story of the poem follows West’s inner struggle to maintain a functional, grounded personal life in the face of industrial and public pressure to live like a pop icon. Moreover, West inflects this struggle with images from his past, using Biblical motifs to problematize consumer culture with the Christian ethics of his life before fame.

The opening lines of the song show Kanye balancing the his elevated wealth with his desire to stay grounded:

“I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven/When I awoke I spent that on a necklace/I told God I’d be back in a second”

In three lines, Kanye tells a compelling story. He begins with a dream to make it big, but once he gains riches, he struggles to maintain his value system, conspicuously consuming under pressure to be a rap icon, and compromising his original values. Rather than use his wealth for good, he spends his money on a gold cross chain – an ironic transvaluation of Christian ethics to worshipping the almighty dollar.

In later lines, Kanye notes presents a highly self-aware and playful image of the opposing forces that tug at him:

“So if the devil wear Prada/Adam Eve wear Nada/I’m in between, but way more fresher.”

Kanye references a popular movie, Biblical imagery, and his internal struggle to negotiate the pop-culture world and his personal world in one compact, formulaic rhyme structure. He breathes a fresh take on a tried and true formula to not only stamp his personal identity on a commercial structure, but also to problematize the culture of mainstream rap. Kanye’s greatest creative success is in transforming a formula into a mode of personal expression.