How Big of A Part Does 'Punch Lines' & 'Metaphors' play in Lyricism ?

[I'm THAT guy...]

verses built around punchlines take away from the strength of the verse whereas a metaphors give you something to think about even if what the persons says is outlandish. Case in point: When Lil Wayne started relying on punchlines his shit got weaker then it did when he would have a topic and used more metaphors.

Goddamn

Missed and hit a nigga in his head with this one

I'm gonna paint the city red with this one

I'm gonna head with this one

See you fucking with the boys who tote toys way before Christmas.

No assistance just, That persistence me. That commitment if - I don't get it somebody gonna die tonight -

I know my vibe is tight - And I deserve the throne - if the kid ain't right - then let me die in his souls.

Lines like these can still get the job done as opposed to.

sittin’ in my hog, tell my chauffer “to the penthouse”

pockets so deep its like my money gotta swim out

Marley say f-ck em, Scoob say f-ck em

bitch I’m still the best overall, like a jumper

Weezy F, F, fire flame spitter

hundred million dollars, pocket change n-gga

 

[JokerzWyld]

I'd personally consider that imagery as opposed to metaphor because nothing's really being compared. Just my opinion.
Rather intelligent post, sir. I personally love allusions, which is why I was so hyped at Jay-Z's verse he did on the Snoop Dogg remix for I Wanna Rock.

I got a couple Jeezy CDs. I got a couple Ross joints. I loved Slim Thug's CD he did on Star Trak. Got a couple Scarface joints. However, I'm a big fan of examining rap and picking out literary elements and deciphering their meanings and analyzing how they contribute to an artist's idea, thought, or emotion. (By the way, PLEASE don't think I'm saying Scarface isn't lyrical, but he usually sticks to imagery - not really a simile, metaphor, entendre sorta dude).

This is also why I was so pleased with Jay-Z's Decoded book. I knew that book would help bring hip-hop a bit more respect as legitimate art and poetry. Thanks to that book, a few more people are listening to the complexity of the lyrics as opposed to just singing along to the hook.

But really, who the f*** was the one that made all rappers start calling similes, metaphors? And the thing that's funny is that I'm positive a lot of those MCs know the difference but keep/kept calling the similes metaphors anyway.

Good post.

I took the definition of metaphor from the Oxford American Dictionary

Metaphor: (Noun): a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable

The example given was: "I had fallen through a trapdoor of depression".

It doesn't specify comparisons like Simile does.

But to answer your question though, it just seems like general ignorance in hip hop. I seen a freestyle battle where one rapper said, "how is he nice, he uses 'like' with ever metaphor", and i'm thinking to myself that metaphors don't use "like" or "as". Jay-Z said something similar: "I take off LIKE i been strippin' all my life/ that's the type of metaphors i write". People confuse the two a lot. When I was in high school they taught us about similes and metaphors at the same time so perhaps that's how the confusion started.

 

[da champ]

Good post.

I took the definition of metaphor from the Oxford American Dictionary

Metaphor: (Noun): a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable

The example given was: "I had fallen through a trapdoor of depression".

It doesn't specify comparisons like Simile does.

But to answer your question though, it just seems like general ignorance in hip hop. I seen a freestyle battle where one rapper said, "how is he nice, he uses 'like' with ever metaphor", and i'm thinking to myself that metaphors don't use "like" or "as". Jay-Z said something similar: "I take off LIKE i been strippin' all my life/ that's the type of metaphors i write". People confuse the two a lot. When I was in high school they taught us about similes and metaphors at the same time so perhaps that's how the confusion started.

And now I am a tad more enlightened. Thank you.

As for similes and metaphors, I teach that now in middle school. MIDDLE SCHOOL. My kids better know the damn difference between the two. I got a kid in one of my classes that really spits considering his age. If that dude ever drops a record and calls a simile a metaphor, I failed for one of two reasons:

1. either he didn't learn the shyt in my class like he should've

or

2. dude's smart enough, but not independent-minded enough to avoid conforming

 

[JokerzWyld]

And now I am a tad more enlightened. Thank you.

As for similes and metaphors, I teach that now in middle school. MIDDLE SCHOOL. My kids better know the damn difference between the two. I got a kid in one of my classes that really spits considering his age. If that dude ever drops a record and calls a simile a metaphor, I failed for one of two reasons:

1. either he didn't learn the shyt in my class like he should've

or

2. dude's smart enough, but not independent-minded enough to avoid conforming

No problem man. I had to look that stuff up again when I was in college to actually make sure i got it right, and that's how i found out that i was wrong about metaphors. I used to think they were similes. I was really stupid then lol.

Yeah, but words aren't really given credit too much in hip hop nowadays. There are people in this forum who hate acapellas because they don't like "spoken word". I choose to listen to the lyrics though.

 

[lookdude]

Bumping......

 

[JokerzWyld]

Bumping......

niggaz don't care enough about lyricism to post.