![]() ![]() Hip-hop artists alter the English language in their music to create what is called “flow,” a combination of rhythms and rhymes. Arguably the most pivotal musicians in all of hip-hop, the duo uses elements like alliteration, allusions and metaphors to create classics like “I Ain’t No Joke” and “Follow the Leader.” They also embody what makes hip-hop music so powerful: the way it alters language. Most memorable was the discovery of Eric B. One of my first encounters with hip-hop was “Get A Hold,” by A Tribe Called Quest, a group known for optimistic lyrics like “positivity has risen” and “Love it when God keeps on overlookin’.” From A.T.C.Q., I discovered other artists: Common and his classic “I Used to Love H.E.R.”, an extended metaphor about a woman who represents hip-hop Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story,” a parable disguised as a bedtime story Gang Starr’s “Code of the Streets,” a recollection of the frustrations faced by black men in the 1990s. But it wasn’t until I fell in love with hip-hop music that I truly understood the point my father was emphasizing: how deeply music touches the soul. Influenced by my parents, my collection ranges from merengue artists like Johnny Ventura and Juan Luis Guerra to rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. How does the song make you feel?” The focus for him was always on the inspiration behind the art: What was the artist trying to evoke in listeners? What experiences was he or she describing? Sitting across from me in the kitchen of our old apartment, his acoustic guitar across his lap, my father responded: “Not the lyrics. I was 10 years old, attempting to explain the lyrics to my father. ![]() I remember the first time I heard Steely Dan’s “Deacon Blues,” a song about winning and losing in life. ![]()
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