ABSTRACT
A study of the interaction of music and text in rap. Adams, noting that the music in rap is customarily produced before the lyrics are composed, inverts the standard “text/music” relation to “music/text,” arguing that rap lyrics often support the music, not the reverse. Using a table derived from Adam Krims’s analytical method, Adams looks at the rhythmic placement of each word’s syllables. The resulting rhythmic motives, syllable groupings, and patterns of rhymed syllables all are shown to incorporate drumbeats, pitch groupings, and motivic elements found in the music (the backing track). Includes transcriptions, musical figures, and lyrics from the music of OutKast, A Tribe Called Quest, and Big Boi.
