I'm glad that list is God and will just determine it for us.Who has the best? Posed like that, it is a subjective question, and probably the reason why most posts here are just fan boys. But to actually look into this type of shxt objectively will depend on what you define "best lyricism" as. In terms of technicality, literacy/ vocabulary level (which allows you do to more with words, therefor expanding lyrical capabilities) here is a list that you can see.You must be registered for see links
It's been posted various times on these rap threads.
This is based off of compiled data through hundreds, if not Thousands of lyrical works.. #facts
Crown :
1)Aesop Rock - I don't even really mess with his music, but I've listened through like 3 of his albums, gotta give it to him. When it comes to raw lyrical ability, most rap listeners would turn have to turn it off.
Notice that based off of the first 35,000 Bars Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye don't even make the top 10
Well I think people can choose the way they want to rate lyrical content. Some choose to go with taste and personal opinion, others by lyrical ability, and complexity.I'm glad that list is God and will just determine it for us.
It's obvious from the way the thread is we're talking about subject matter, what you talk about and how you talk about it. You can make a million songs about cheese if you have enough vocabulary and not be relevant to this thread.
I didn't even mention Kendrick in that post. If you need to reach and find some random, irrelevant insult to zest up your argument, then your argument isn't worth posting.Well I think people can choose the way they want to rate lyrical content. Some choose to go with taste and personal opinion, others by lyrical ability, and complexity.
My posts on hip hop always rub off the wrong way on kendrick fanboys for some reason. That list ain't god, but its's objective as hell. Kendrick would be on there, pretty high up if you ask me, if he had more material when the data was gathered in 2012. And stop gettin banned ya damn coon.
I respect how you feel, but I disagree. And I think everyone has their own understanding and is entitled to it. why? cause I don't think theres any ONE way.. to judge this type of stuff. It's art, it's subjective. YOu can't apply these hard definitions to how someone perceives art, without acknowledging the other's view, cause you are dealing with something so abstract and opinionated. but I'll state my views anyway.I didn't even mention Kendrick in that post. If you need to reach and find some random, irrelevant insult to zest up your argument, then your argument isn't worth posting.
You're confusing lyrical ability with lyrical content, they aren't the same thing. Being able to form complex lines, or metaphors, or wordplay, or rhyme schemes, is an ability. Your content is what you're using that ability to talk about. For example:
I sit back with this pack of Zig Zags and this bag
Of this weed it gives me the shit needed to be
The most meanest MC on this - on this Earth
And since birth I've been cursed with this curse to just curse
And just blurt this berserk and bizarre shit that works
The lyrical ability is multiple internal rhyme schemes, while the lyrical content is drug use and how it affects his music. They are used in conjecture with other, but they are not the same thing.
As such, a list about rappers that have the most and best usage of vocabulary falls into lyrical ability, not lyrical content.
I never denied being a huge fan of Kendrick. I'm saying feeling the need to insult me by calling me a Kendrick fanboy in the middle of your argument makes your argument look weak, as that's irrelevant to what we're talking about.I respect how you feel, but I disagree. And I think everyone has their own understanding and is entitled to it. why? cause I don't think theres any ONE way.. to judge this type of stuff. It's art, it's subjective. YOu can't apply these hard definitions to how someone perceives art, without acknowledging the other's view, cause you are dealing with something so abstract and opinionated. but I'll state my views anyway.
I think content comes from ability.
lyrical ability really is being able to write the lyric (about whatever it is that the artist wants) before it's even perceived as good or bad, or anything for that matter. It's not until someone come along and reads or hears it that it is given judgement.
Lyrical ability is not only multiple internal rhyme schemes, lyrical content is part of makes up what lyrical ability is, if you are coming from an angle of observation. Everyone has the ability to write down lyrics, there for creating lyrical content. The lyrical content itself comes from the ability to write Lyrics. I don't think lyrical ability should be corned only to having "Multis" or Metas.. It goes beyond rap. Besides what the hell is lyrical content, without the ability to write lyrics? It wouldn't exist?
I posted that link because in my first post, cause I believe, that lyrical ability directly influences how I perceive content.
Since I believe the artist's content comes from their lyrical / literacy abilities... But again that's just me. And if you go back to my first post, you will see again I said, it was opinionated, Subjective, to even decide how to judge.
But to take a look at how vocabulary determines the aesthetic and actual content of the lyrics, think about
what makes up lyrical content (ideas, thoughts and emotions) that are then turned into language.
Depending on what language is selected will determine how it is perceived. Whether it may be percieved as talented or talentless, lyrical ability is the innate gift of creativity that allows you to put words down on paper. Creating the lyrical content. delivered through verbal communication by means of words and vocabulary. How much more can you do with your content, how many different levels, metaphorical meanings, ideas or even emotions, can you give to your content, given a wider reach? You see what I'm saying? And even another point would be, that emotions can be conveyed by language by abstractness of both the polar opposites of being extremely wordy, or even by brief but detailed verses, like haikus that are made up of only few words. Still coming down to language though for it's delivery.
lyrical content is created by lyrical ability. That's just me though, like I said everyone has their own method for their having standards on this stuff.
You mentioned one of my posts, and I saw you posting on kendrick hella times here, what you tryna hide young blood. Look at your avy my n.gga lmao
I know what you are saying and respect that because it is logical, but I don't exactly concede cause like I said, that's your interpretation. each person has their own understanding. It might seem weird to others, but w/e. For me the content and ability are interchangeable parts of a bigger whole. And a rappers lyrical ability to me leads to a more versatile or unique content. And a bizzare or unique content would require an out of the box approach or ability. I've seen and heard way to many people claiming to be rappers whose content delivery was just cookie cutter, dime a dozen, type of thing. I think that's part of the reason I have the standards that I have. or to say it in a nicer way, I like my paintings with lots of colors.I never denied being a huge fan of Kendrick. I'm saying feeling the need to insult me by calling me a Kendrick fanboy in the middle of your argument makes your argument look weak, as that's irrelevant to what we're talking about.
And yes, you can. While I can't tell how to interpret lyrical ability or lyrical content, while there is no ONE way to determine who has the best lyrical content or ability, we can draw lines between the two and distinguish between the two. It's called having different aspects, different categories, to form one whole. Let's take a look at different art forms to illustrate.
Literature: We can be talking about the theme of books, and which book has the best theme. If you start saying "Well, I think this book has the worst theme because the dialogue was bad" then you've strayed off. While dialogue often sets up the theme, they are two different things, and we are capable of telling the difference between the two and we acknowledge this difference.
Drawing: If we're looking at a painting, and I ask you about the shading, and you start talking about the line art, then you've strayed once again. Even though the lines of a particular area can determine how you shade that area, we acknowledge there is a difference between the two.
Film: If I ask you what movie has the worst acting, and you start talking about how it was written, then you've strayed. While the way the movie is written can affect the acting, we acknowledge them as two different things.
It's the same for lyrical ability and lyrical content. The same way line art can determine shading but they're separate things that are aspects of one whole art form, the same way the writing can influence acting but they're separate things that are aspects of one whole art form, the same way dialogue can affect the theme but they're separate things that are aspects of one whole art form, lyrical ability can set up lyrical content but they are two separate things that are aspects of one whole art form.
If lyrical ability sets up lyrical content, how can they be the same? Vocabulary is a part of lyrical ability, not lyrical content. Lyrical ability is how you use the words together, lyrical content is what your usage of the words mean. If you have a rapper that can find a hundred ways, a hundred rhymes, a hundred flows and a hundred metaphors for crashing a car, and makes all of his songs about just that, he has good lyrical ability, but his lyrical content is the same thing every time.
I understand that, I just think you're wrong. If lyrical content and lyrical ability are interchangeable, then dialogue/theme, line art/shading, or acting/writing are too. And we know they aren't.I know what you are saying and respect that because it is logical, but I don't exactly concede cause like I said, that's your interpretation. each person has their own understanding. It might seem weird to others, but w/e. For me the content and ability are interchangeable parts of a bigger whole. And a rappers lyrical ability to me leads to a more versatile or unique content. And a bizzare or unique content would require an out of the box approach or ability. I've seen and heard way to many people claiming to be rappers whose content delivery was just cookie cutter, dime a dozen, type of thing. I think that's part of the reason I have the standards that I have. or to say it in a nicer way, I like my paintings with lots of colors.![]()
I understand that, I just think you're wrong. If lyrical content and lyrical ability are interchangeable, then dialogue/theme, line art/shading, or acting/writing are too. And we know they aren't.