It Might Seem Unrelated, But It's Not

As a writer, I appreciate all forms of expression … including rap. Now, I realize a whole lot of browsers just shut down, but the reality is that rap is simply a literary expression set to music. To clarify, I'm speaking of rap back when the movement began not as it exists today.

When rap was first born, it was a lyrical movement that detailed the American black experience. The best rappers were poets of extraordinary talent. The rhymes forced you to think. They were metaphorical and imbued...