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| Will watches over me as I master a track for the "Flyer Than You" mixtape. |
Q:What is rap to you?
- Rap is so much more complex than what people originally think. A lot of people forget the fact that rap is poetry that is written or spit to the flow of the beat.
Q:What makes a great rapper stand out from an amateur?
- Creativity. Great rappers have their own original style and flow. No two great rappers flow the same way in a song. All of the greats have a swagger (confidence) that can’t be taught. They feel the flow of the song more than amateurs.
Q:How is the language different in different areas of rap?
- The slang is different in all of the urban areas across the world. Rap sounds different in each region. West Coast rappers are more laid back, its got an original sound… where rappers from the East Coast use a lot more lyricism. Its more of poetry in the East Coast. The Southern rap is notorious for club songs, and for using lots of bass in their songs. It’s basically dance music.
Q:How has rap evolved in throughout the years?
- Rap has changed so much. It’s hard to describe how far things have come. The best way to describe the change is the material. There are so many different rappers from different parts of the world that all have different stories. Everyone’s style and subject matter is different.
After talking a while with Will, it became clear how much desire he had for the genre. I had a hard time coming up with questions pertaining the “communication” part. After discussing the subject, we came to a conclusion that there are honestly too many ways to describe the communication in rap music. The topic is as broad, considering the entire genre is formed of words. Artist use their lyrics to vividly paint a picture in their listener’s head. “There’s a billion ways to get your point across. Rappers use metaphors and similes to create lines that you can relate to. Sometimes its stuff to sound catchy… sometimes its deep,” Wilburn said.
Another way to describe a communication factor in the rap genre is the use of literal terms. Producers and artists throw around words that would make the average Joe stumble. Wilburn states, “You’ve got everything from vocal presence, to metronome, to melody. You’ve got a lot of things to consider when you’re writing a song. It all depends on the mood you get from the instrumental beat.” Although I have been trying to produce music for around a year, Will gave me a ton of general terms that I’d forgot about. One of the most important terms to remember when it comes to writing a rap verse is tone. “It’s all about how you twist your words, rappers like Big Sean have a low key mumble, where rappers like Eminem and Wayne spit with more passion and liveliness,” said Wilburn. “Another thing a lot of people underestimate is breath control. People hear it on the radio and forget how tough it can me to contain your breath. You can’t be huffing and puffing on a mic and expect a good response.”
In Conclusion, the rap genre itself is composed entirely of communication. Whether its in the actual words or the terms being thrown around by artists and producers in the studio setting, communication is a vital part of hip hop. “The day rappers lose sense of communication, will be the day rap itself dies,” Wilburn stated.
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