Why is lyricism so important?

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Why is Lyricism so important?
                With the recent release of Eminem’s Kamikaze album, I’ve been really curious about what drew me to Hip Hop at such a young age. The truth is, my first favorite artist was Eminem. I first heard Eminem when I would see his “My name is….” Music video when I would watch MTV first thing in the morning when I got ready for school. When my older brother gave me a copy of Eminem’s debut album, "The Slim Shady LP" I was hooked!
                From that point on I fell in love with Hip Hop; most importantly, I fell in love with the lyrical aspect of Hip Hop. The creative lyrics were enough to captivate my impressionable mind and challenge me to write lyrics as well. Ever since I was ten years old, I've been writing rhymes, which would later become songs. To be completely honest with you, every Hip Hop artist that I find myself listening to, I am always the most impressed by the lyrical abilities of the artist. The ability to be able to tell a compelling story through the clever word play and well-crafted phrases and rhymes.    
                As I thought about why certain audiences are attracted to lyricism when it comes to Hip Hop, I created a list of reasons. Now, this list is not complete, nor is it in any particular order. It is just my thoughts on why I love lyricism in Hip Hop:

1. It shows creativity: As I recently stated, I love clever lyrics! When an artist is able to craft clever lyrics that get the audience thinking, there is really nothing better. Often Hip Hop is associated with lower income areas, the well-put together lyrics proved that anyone could be seen as genius, the only thing that matters is finding what you, as the artist, is most creative in. As a listener, hearing the intelligent lyrics as well as the amazing metaphors and witty punch lines was enough to blow my mind and keep me coming back for more.
      
2. Keeps the audience interested- I believe that we’ve all heard the simplistic lyrics of popular Pop songs and often cringed at the watered down attempt at song writing. I know that as a Hip Hop fan and a true fan of lyricism, I appreciate lyrics that keep me interested time and time again.  Yet, with the outstanding wordplay of lyricist, I can listen to the verses over and over again while I decode rhyme patterns, metaphors, similes, imagery, as well as assonance, and alliteration.   
    
   
   
3. It challenges the audience- For a select few; the lyricism found at the base of Hip Hop creates a inner challenge for the listener: they want to learn how to write lyrics as well. This definitely happened to me! When I would listen to lyricists such as Eminem, DMX, Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, and Common, I grew a desire to write something just as impactful. Often I sit in a dark room until the early hours of the morning creating rhyming couplets and eventually songs that expressed more about myself than I could ever thought possible.
    

   4. It tells a story that the audience can relate to- Much like most genres of music, Hip Hop found a core audience that related to the stories that were being told on the microphone. Now, the reason a particular listener relates to a song or to an artist may vary, the truth holds steady: the audience sees themselves in the art that is being created. This is why the audience is so drawn to the music in the first place.  

Music has always been an art form that allows the listener and the artist to bond over a shared experience or topic. For a select few, this enjoyment goes further an just sharing the experience, in actually it becomes a window into the soul of the artist. For those that take the first steps into creating their own clever punch lines and lyrics, a new artist is born. This is were I have lived for the greater part of 15 years. Words have become my best friend, my confidant and my companion. When I hear the phenomenal lyrics of these Hip Hop artists, I can only imagine that the artists' relationship with words is very much the same.