"Lyric, Rhythm, and Non-alignment in the Second Verse of Kendrick Lamar's "Momma
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4390880 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mitchell M Ohriner (University of Denver), Mitchell Ohriner (0000-0002-3949-4744, University of Denver, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2019-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Music Theory Online (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1067-3040 • E-ISSN: 1067-3040 |
| Publisher | Society for Music Theory (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.30535/mto.25.1.10 |
| OpenAlex | W2952457336 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 28 |
After twenty years of published analyses on rap lyrics and flow, a divide between music-oriented and literature-oriented writing remains. It is only slightly hyperbolic to suggest that the former analyzes rap music as music without text while the latter analyzes it as text without music. This article begins bridging that divide by relating details of Kendrick Lamar's rhythmic delivery to the meaning of his lyrics, focusing on the second verse of "Momma" fromTo Pimp a Butterfly(2015). In particular, I present methods for measuring and visualizing the alignment of syllable onsets (i.e., the flow) with events in the accompanying instrumental streams (i.e., the beat). Subsequently, in examining three lines of the verse, I document an analogy between flow-beat alignment and topics of vitality, moral rightness, and knowledge in the lyrics. In demonstrating one way in which rhythmic delivery can affirm the expressive meaning of lyrics, I hope to provide tools that enable hip hop scholars interested in rhythm, rhyme, and meaning to sometimes talk to each other rather than past each other
Lyrics · Music History and Culture · Music Technology and Sound Studies · Neuroscience and Music Perception
Segmental durations in the vicinity of prosodic phrase boundaries
The intonation of American English
Representing African Music
Music on the timing grid
Representing African Music
Analysing the pitch content of the rapping voice
Isochrony reconsidered
Aspects of the Music/Text Relationship in Rap
Beats and Flows
Intonation contours, prosodic structure and preboundary lengthening
On the Metrical Techniques of Flow in Rap Music
Theory and Practice in the Analysis of the Nineteenth-Century 'Lied
Rhythm, Rhyme, and Rhetoric in the Music of Public Enemy
Rhythm as Duration of Sounds in Tumba Francesa
At the Crossroads
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,71 |
| Citation span | 2019 - 2024 (6) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |