The Emcee(or MC) is a lot artform in today’s mainstream hip-hop culture. Though there are a few who still carry the torch for lyrics, the radio would have you think otherwise. The craft of writing lyrics is lost and now most people look for catchy hooks or beats they can dance to. I would like to show an example of skilled lyricism and technique that should not go unnoticed. I present to you the 2nd verse from “Emcee” by J-Live.
know why, cuz I’m a
Master of Ceremony
Making a Comeback and
Moving the Crowd with Mad Charisma
Most of y’all Cornballs
Mingle at Concerts
Making a Claim but you know who is the [“MC”]
More Concentration on My Cadence Might Cloud your Mind
Controlling your Movement Capaciously
My Capacity to Massacre Crumbs
and Motivate Change Most Certainly Makes you Consider Me
Champion, Microphone is Consistently
Modelling Candor of Magnificence
see My Conduct is Mute to Cajolery
I Maintain with Clemency and Magnificence
Cunning and Marvelous
Crafty yet Malevolent
To all Cultivators of Mindless Crap
I Really Recognize the Rude Ramblings of those Random Riff Raffs
Cuz they just Rap and I
Notice the focus of using two letters to control most the verse to emphasize the name of the song. Towards the end, he uses the letter R to focus on rappers. The ones who do not possess the skills to be a true MC. Penmanship and lyrics at their finest. What do you think?