Other people, books, essays, nature, travel, and psychedelic experiences are the only other things that have had anywhere near the same impact. I’ve now been freestyle rapping for about 10 years and making my own rap music for ~5.5 years. The rap I’ve listened to and loved over the years has shaped my worldview and my approach to life more than almost anything else. And yet the music unites all the sorcerous individuals who make use of it it is the underlying Substance, a kind of Tao even, in which all sound wizards swim and from which they derive their power. Something deeply native to them-a pure expression of their individuality. Or explain why life is worth living and fighting for.Īnd they could do all this while flowing beautifully, in perfect rhythm, delivering elaborate rhymes over head-nodding, heart-thumping beats. Or give you an intimate tour of the most vulnerable parts of their psyches. Or paint horrifying pictures of the dark side of humanity. Or comment on global issues and the state of the world. Or explain their entire theory of reality. Or name-drop writers, artists, scientists, and philosophers. Or build intricate towers of abstract, cryptic poetry. Or contemplate the future of humanity through science-fiction. Or write a silly song about the importance of personal hygiene. Rappers might tell you the most tragically raw story you’ve ever heard. Over time I came to learn that rap could be so much more.

I do like much of it.īut the overall sound and lyrical content of mainstream rap tends to be fairly repetitive and formulaic. That’s not to say that I don’t like any of the rap that gets airtime on the radio. The combination of beats and rhymes was intoxicating, liberating.Īs I delved deeper into the genre’s many caverns, I realized that most people’s idea of rap-based on what they heard on the radio-was extremely narrow. In it I found an enchanting synthesis of music and poetry. I discovered rap about 18 years ago, when I was 9 or 10 years old. My most beloved songs and albums have enhanced my existence immeasurably.Īnd, as you may have guessed, my favorite genre of music is rap music. The right music at the right time feels like literal magic. Music might be my favorite thing about living. This sentiment captures my feelings nicely. Long before rap music existed, Nietzsche wrote, “Without music, life would be a mistake.”

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