Thursday, April 23, 2009

Rakim. Rakim. Ra. Kimmm. Plus a lil etymology.


cadence:
c.1384, "flow of rhythm in verse or music," from M.Fr. cadence, O.It. cadenza "conclusion of a movement in music," lit. "a falling," from V.L. *cadentia, from L. cadens prp. of cadere "to fall" (see case (1)). In 16c., sometimes used literally for "an act of falling." The It. form cadenza was borrowed 1836 as a musical term for "ornamental passage near the close of a song or solo."


Turns out I still have the musical tastes of a 17-year-old dude from Queens in 1994. Sigh.

I know it shouldn't matter since we're more concerned with things like rhyme scheme, delivery, content, narrative arc, etc. in the raposphere, but the
voice of this man is like thunder from the music gods. Or maybe hail? Anyway, it's something powerful and kinda scary but in a good way. There's that monotonous tone always, emotions under the surface but he's able to harness and direct them like...wait for it...a soul controller. He always sounds like he's giving me a stern talking-to, like I got caught sneaking in the house at 4 am (with a dude who's bad for me, no doubt), and I'm kind of overwhelmed and not really listening at first, standing in the living room getting a lecture, but when I wake up the next morning the weight of his words sink in and I realize

goddammit if Rakim wasn't on point last night.



"I don't go on tour, I go to war."

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