ABSTRACT
This essay compares the two musico-poetic genres of meyxana and rap in Azerbaijan. The essay first presents a brief general overview of meyxana—a genre of rhythmically recited oral poetry—focusing in particular on the poetic form of the texts and their improvised performance in the form of a competition between dueling reciters. The discussion then turns to Azeri rap music, concentrating in particular on songs by the group Dəyirman, and focusing also on the poetic organization of song texts. Finally, the essay addresses the question of whether there is a direct link between meyxana and rapping in terms of specific aspects of poetic form and style in performance. The essay argues that whether or not such specific and direct continuities between the two genres can be empirically demonstrated, the discursive connection between what are represented as respectively traditional and modern genres serves powerfully to anchor the contemporary musical expression of rap in Azeri history and culture. The essay concludes with a discussion of whether the terms “popular culture” and “popular music” are useful in understanding these two genres.
