Poetry and Hip Hop

Welcome to The Sofa. This post has a very interesting discussion to be....well, discussed. I have been approached by some bloggers and asked some questions about my content and chioce of direction within some of my posts. Not the album reviews. Not the personal presentations and dedications. No the focus and questionable entries happened to be the poetry. I have been criticized on the fact that I have created a hip hop blog site and decided to put poetry on some of the posts. I was asked about the connection of the two? Why I chose to place my on poetry up there instead of actual poets? And even was asked do I consider myself a poet, or a rapper. These types of questions I OBVIOUSLY could just laugh off. I could EASILY make a dis track as well. Or I could simply put a post out showing how upsetting the wuestions were and get all emotional. But then that would just take away from my site. That would completely defeat the purpose of the educating factor that this page, and great web pages that glorify hip hop, wants to promote.

Let me first start by saying poetry has a tremendous influence on hip hop. Whether or not the two have the same specific qualites, they are alike more than they are different...

Poetry-  is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning (wikipedia)

Hip Hop-is a form of musical expression and artistic subculture that originated in African-American and Hispanic-American communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx (wikipedia)

Even by definition you can get a few similarities. For starters there is the fact that they are both forms of art. (yes kids, music is a form of art) They also posess the quality of both being a way of expressing feelings or thoughts. Im hoping those with questions are begining to see the true connection and importance even of the prescence of poetry in hip hop. And for those who arent quite there yet. I have a few examples of the truth in the NEED of poetic skill in the hip hop category. And please understand, this is not to take away from any other genre of music.

Everything from metaphors similies and personifications are used and expressed in hip hop. Most of all puns or play on words are used. Its just the smae in poetry. The poems tend to lean more toward fantasy and reality seperation of even connection. Hip hop tells true stories and referances events that are connected to the artist. But still the same format and end result. You know the truth and can almost place yourself in each word and occurance with each sentence.

As to the question of why I have chosen to put my own poetry up...? I like to think Im pretty good at it. There is really no a reason. THANKS for joining me on the Sofa.