Rhyme: Why Eminem is one of the most impressive lyricists ever

Linked (but a little buried) in the post is this absolute standout of a YouTube video about the rhyme scheme in Eminem's Lose Yourself. [VIDEO] Really drives home both how much more sophisticated hip hop has become and the incredible degree of difficulty in trying to simulate such sophisticated language structures.

Interesting comment about the L, S, and D usage and rhyming. I was particularly surprised by the effort that goes into Eminem's rap that I just contributed to "good flow". Some of that effort explained in this video: [VIDEO]

I think it is two parts alternative entertainment, one part childhood education. When you have digital video, easy access to long distance travel, broadcast television and radio music, video games and such, the emotional impact of a clever turn of phrase is utterly lost. Families don't sit around and listen to someone sing or tell stories, we're all of entertaining ourselves in our own ways, letting the rest of the world be creative for us. As for the education bit, kids learn the thinnest veneer of what poetry is- slap some rhymes together for homework and move on. I recall seeing a young poet at the white house a few years back that everyone was falling over themselves to praise, and... I didn't get it, at all. It was nothing more than a political screed masquerading as rhyming prose. Even the rhymes felt either forced or at the least uninspired. On the other hand, there is this: Edit: this is the link I was originally meaning to share, but I'll leave the second after. This first one is more academic, the second a simple review of the song 's structure [VIDEO] [LINK]