Analyze Rapping as a Verbal Act

Student Name Instructor’s Name Course Section Date Title Rap music emerged from the African American traditions such as playing the dozens, the toasting custom, and signifying, that evolved into a full-blown verbal art. To create their songs, rap artists incorporate the past and the culture to shape their verbal delivery styles. By analyzing the dozens, toasting, and signifying as some of the examples, the crucial artistry of the rap music from the cultural perspective comes to the light. In rap battles, playing the dozens covers a new side of the process, becoming the basis for fierce verbal fighting of the artists. In the latest entertainment trend, which is similar to the ancient tradition of playing the dozens, battle rapping is an artistic competition arena where artists exchange blows in the form of verbal attacks and wordplay. The game of rap battles powerfully reflects how the traditional game is played, as artists try to overshadow their opponents by means of their lyrical agility, imagination, and the ability to hit their words with timely delivery. The art of playing the dozens has had a huge impact on the lyrical wit of rap artists because it has guided their abilities to conceive rhymes that can affect audiences emotionally while maintaining melodious qualities. Working diligently to perfect the art of wordplay and delivery, rap artists are able to build an astonishingly attractive and highly entertaining atmosphere for their audience who become captivated by the experience (Smith). In addition, it could be stated that the custom of playing the dozens serves to create an atmosphere of kinship and respect among rap artists, even in the twinkling of an eye. The mutual appreciation adds significantly to the rap battles. Their qualities change them into platforms to display artistic wealth and linguistic perfection (Smith). Therefore, in rap battles, the tradition of playing the dozens brings in the element of rapper's verbal dexterity and competitive mood which are the two factors of rap artists. In addition, the toasting tradition, whose roots lie in the African American oral culture, has become an essential element of rap music that serves as the avenue through which artists tap into the narrative style and connect with the audience via lyrical storytelling. Time toasting, which was also a form of entertainment and expression embraced the performance of stories and anecdotes accompanied by rhythmic speech patterns and music elements. During these productions, the storytellers frequently used improvisation playing a crucial role in the interaction with the audience (Winston 258). In fact, in the sphere of rap music, hip-hop artists are borrowing from these old sagas to create stories that will stand the test of time. Using rhythmic delivery together with poetic techniques such as rh...