Why do you have to be lyrical to be considered a great rapper?

[Dice]

Beck is a ****ing genius. Guero is one of my top 5 favorite albums ever. Modern Guilt is almost flawless.

I wouldnt rate him that high in my list but he is underrated i personally liked Mellow Gold and Odelay regardless of the singles although I love Gamma Ray the most out of his singles

[Dice]

Canibus is an A-plus lyricist but his albums are usually trash (Rip The Jacker was the best, with Mic Club a second in my opinion).


i do like lyrics but I also show love to any kind of rap if its enjoyable, music period, i mean I just spent 2 posts talking about Beck for lords sake

[Killa Cam]

Why do you have to be lyrical to be considered a great rapper?

Soulja Boy isnt lyrical but he went platinum, alotta people like him, would you consider him a great rapper? No. the point is anybody can scream **** or drone on about the same subject matter (EX: jeezy -yay) but if theres no part of your brain used when you write lyrics to a track, what seperates the artist from you, or me? anybody can make a club ****er w/ a repetative chorus, a catchy dance, and a catchy beat. it involves actual skill/thought process to be a lyrical artist or to be considered a 'lyrical' artist.

@ GH, i disagree w/ Ace not being lyrical, hes lyrical in a storytelling aspect.

[abc123WBVA]

Bottom line to be a "great rapper" you have to have the whole package, just because somone doesn't have that "whole package" doesn't mean they aren't entertaining. I'll be glad to bump someone who bought a serious beat from a producer and found a way not to completely irritate me over the track. Do I enjoy it, hell yeah... Does it elevate this particular rapper to "greatness", not even close. "Great" is going to be subjective anyways... But there is a huge difference between "super entertaining" and then being "an all time great".

ABC

[KILLA RIGHT]

Of course u can be good but to be great u gotta be lyrical

[Mushashi]

It's what rappers do, they spit lyrics over a beat.

Having a nice flow and great voice or both is cool, but having great lyrics where you're actually saying something of note, spitting you're truth, putting your life between the lines, is what help makes great rap artistry.

A nice flow and hot beat to me is a fine looking female with a pretty face and big *******. All that that to me is merely aesthetic, it's exterior. What keeps me interested is her personality which trancends everything else, the equivalent to good lyrics.

That's what allows me to develop an emotional connection to truly feel a song. That's what being "lyrical" can do.

[SkilledB]

Well If lyrics diddnt matter a 4th grader who can rhyme can make a hit record.


next.....

[Truth]

How can an artist express himself in different ways other than lyrics? Last time I checked a rappers job is to spit lyrics.

Leave it to the poets? LMAO.

Lyricsm isnt defined by using big words.

at the end of the day if you say some **** I can feel I'll listen. But it's only so much I can listen to dudes rappin bull**** and all half assed.

You have to have some skill to be considered an all time great. You cant be considered great becuase you rapped over dope beats. **** just doesnt make sense.

co-sign. if i got insane just bleezy, kanye west, neptunes, dj premier etc. beats...that wouldn't make me a great rapper unless I did something with those beats. and i wouldn't because i can't rap haha

[neils7147933]

I think there are more elements to a rapper then just him being lyrical. Leave all that for the poets................

Then what do you leave - if a rapper has someone else singing their hooks, making their beats, producing the song...what else does a "rapper" do if he can't rap?

[Kobe Bryant]

Then what do you leave - if a rapper has someone else singing their hooks, making their beats, producing the song...what else does a "rapper" do if he can't rap?

That's what I'm saying. A rapper can only rap. It's his job. Maybe run for office, **** I don't know.