Slant Rhyme and Hip-Hop

A quick VIDEO 'bout the HITS WE KNOW.

“Don’t always reach for the first or the second rhyme that comes to mind…dig deep.” This video is a solid explanation of how slant rhyme works in a hip-hop context. Key takeaway: beyond rhyme, train yourself to hear the sounds of vowels in matched pairs or trios.

This is tricky for me to get my head around sometimes. I lean toward being a rhyme purist, and there’ve been times I’ve listened to lyrics—hip-hop and otherwise—and muttered “Why did they use that word when that one would’ve been so much closer, phonetically?” The answer, of course, is that I’m being too perfectionist and narrow-minded. Lyrical choices involve lots of factors, including clarity, intensity, and originality. What the world needs now isn’t another love/of pairing.

Emails done, and all set to dive into laying out TJoW this weekend. But tomorrow’s another crossword-history post, answering a century-old question…who was Jerry King?