Commonline Journal - Blasting the Canon: Hip-Hop Poetics, Race & the Ivory Tower lyrics

[Excerpt - Michael Cirelli] Keeping all of this in mind, it is important to view rap music as a vital form of radical truth telling. Not since the sixties have we seen a musical genre that is a**ociated with social progress, as well as poetry. Even now we see folk singers like Bob Dylan included in the Oxford Book of American Poetry, (but no rappers). The argument can be made that much of the original spirit of the form has been lost with the ma** marketing and comodification of hip-hop, however at its root is this lineage of radical truth telling. And contrary to what is heard on the radio or portrayed in the media these days, there are still rap artists that are keeping true to the tradition, and the lineage of the oral poetic. It is my belief that because what is played on mainstream radio doesn't reflect the spirit of the tradition, and often fails to encourage the values that make “good art,” and is justifiably kept out of the academy. With this in mind though, open mics at coffee shops don't hurt poetry, neither do poetry slams, or Def Poetry Jam. This is because what the academy deems as “important” is not affected by the social life of poetry, and therefore MFA programs continue to thrive, and the guild continues to influence what is published. However, the same qualities that make bad poetry, make bad rap. What constitutes “good rap” has to do with good values in the form. Those values usually stem from literary traits such as language, tone, or devices. In rap lyrics, being “fresh” is considered one of the most reputable qualities to have. This can be true for poetry, however it would most likely be called “originality.” It is through these two concepts, freshness and originality, that I am gauging what I call “radical,” and therefore champion those types of lyrics in their inter-relation with poetry, as well as their own independent status as poetry in the rap form.