Am I really just a narcissist / Cuz I wake up to a bowl of lobster bisque- Rick Ross

Last week I got into a discussion about rap and why certain artists succeed and others don’t. There are many factors but one that I believe that stands out is emotion.  Rick Ross is one of those artists. No matter the subject, he gives emotion. Let’s be honest, he isn’t talking about anything new; truthfully there hast been a new topic in any music genre in sometime. However, the way an artist tells his story is what can make him standout. The emotion Ross gives, the inflection in his voice on certain words at the right time on the beat is what separates him from other artist. Rap is music which is an art form, so paint the picture take me there but don’t paint the same picture. What I mean by that is, tell me your story without using the same vocabulary as the next artist. We all have heard cocaine brag-adocius rap over and over; honestly that is what rap music is built on. My thing is show it to me in a different light. Ok we know you eat good, got money and beautiful women throw themselves at you but don’t say it like that. Lines like;

I was barely getting pretty women
Now I scoop Emmy winners like kitty litter
Any winter Fendi denim like a slender nigga
Looking in the mirror I can see the real contender
 

No, Ross isn’t the greatest rapper, by far, in the sense of what a rapper should be. Meaning, lyrically and speaking about social issues in the community or whatever other responsibilities we like to place on rappers. However Basquiat, Warhol or even Picasso weren’t the greatest painters, in the sense of what a painter should be, but those artists gave you emotion thru their work and emotion is something all people can feel even if they cant relate to it.

Written by Corey Knight of Art-n-Hustle