Unlike an opinion that is so common to many comfortable middle class people, emceeing is not all about cursing. Little did you know if you wanted to summarize the art of rap to a few cusswords and angry attitudes. Although it is true you are more likely to find some F and N words that sound shocking to some sensitive ears in rap lyrics, it is a little bit simplistic to think that rap music is only about the cusswords.
The first thing that made me focus on emceeing is the subtle art of rhyme. Believe me, not anybody can rhyme in a rap song. While some mainstream rappers spread a false image of what rap music actually is all about and how it should sound, one should not forget that the real roots of rap music are to be sought in the ghetto, the place of an underground emcee’s every day struggle. The jungle, the rough struggle the dirt are part of many colorful descriptions of an emcee s vocal descriptions and it is actually part of an emcee s realistic lyrics.
While cursing has its part- whether it is due to the context or part of a diss, the main difficulty is to put your words together, make them rhyme and make sense while you rhyme, insert some compound syllables, some incisive punchline, destroy or ridicule your opponent, have a suble sense of rhythm and being capable of mixing some suitable instrumentals.
While some middle class ladies often affect to be shocked by the content of a diss, should I remind my readers that the rules from which rap music originated are the disses?
If you cannot stomach a diss as an emcee, you’d better not rap at all.
Being an emcee involves many qualities, such as being an excellent rhymer, a man or a woman of faith, a good musician and definitely a person who doesn t fear speaking up in front of a supportive or unsupportive audience.
A real emcee will transport you into his universe and communicate his passion to the world. That’s how you will recognize the real emcee from the untalented wannabe.
Copyright 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved