WIB # 63 – Metaphor Concept Songs by Thewordisbond.Com on Mixcloud

“Welcome to Know Your History, your monthly dose of hip-hop knowledge. Today, I want to start out our journey in 1995. That was the year that a member of the Wu-Tang Clan dropped a seminal hip-hop classic. The album is brilliant with banger after banger but there is one track that was so unique that people still talk about it today. It has even influenced other rappers to try doing the same style.

Hi, my name is Chase March and I hope you’ll stick with me for the next half hour as we look closely at name-dropping metaphors in rap songs. Press play or download this podcast so we can explore the metaphor concept song in detail. To explain what that is, let’s play the song I’ve been teasing you with for a moment now.

Listen to the GZA seamlessly weave the names of over 3 dozen record labels into the narrative of his song. It is simply brilliant and it must have taken a long time to craft. This is precision to detail and it’s what you’d expect from a rapper known as The Genius.”

These are the songs we look at in detail in this edition of The Word is Bond Podcast . . .

GZA – Labels
Masta Ace – Soda & Soap
Mobb Deep ft. Q-tip – Drink Away the Pain
LL Cool J – Milky Cereal
Ruste Juxx – Scriptures from the Book of BIG (Your Song)

We discuss the theme of each song and how the rappers were able to drop several names of record labels, detergents, beverages, cereal brands, and song titles into their songs. This is creative songwriting and just one of the reasons that I love hip-hop.

Press play and enjoy the show or subscribe to us on iTunes so you can download it and listen to it at your leisure.

Thanks for tuning in!

Artwork by stephcetina