1. Poetic Devices

2. Alliteration
Repetition of a particular sound in the first syllable in a series of words or phrases
Occurs with consonants as well as vowels

3. Hip-Hop Alliteration
“I'm sick of psychotic society somebody save me / Addicted to drama so even mama couldn't raise me” Tupac Shakur, “If I Die 2Nite” “I seen the Rovers roll up with ribbons / I seen ‘em repo’d, resold, and re-driven” Jay-Z “Never Let Me Down”

4. Hip Hop Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds to create internal rhyme within phrases or sentences

5. Assonance
“Dead in the middle of Little Italy little did we know / That we riddled some middleman who didn't do diddily” -- Big Pun, “Twinz” “I bomb atomically / Socrates' philosophies and hypotheses can't define how I be droppin' these mockeries.”

6. Consonance
Repetition of the same consonant two or more times in quick succession

7. Hip Hop Consonance
"Rap rejects my tape deck, ejects projectile/Whether Jew or gentile I rank top percentile.“ Lauryn Hill, “Zealots”

8. Sampling
The act of re-using a recorded portion (or “sample”) from another song as an “instrument” in creating a new work
Legally controversial – permission, clearance
Artistically controversial as well – some critics believe it shows a lack of creativity, others believe it shows creativity to re-work an old sample into something completely different

9. Fonky Thang, Diamon’ Rang
Fonky Thang, dang-a-lang
Betty bought a diamon’ ring
Diamon’ ring, had a crack
Betty cussed and took it back
Fonky thang, believe that
Fonky life, I been told
All that glitters is not gold
Gold is not reality
Mama, real is what you lays on me!
Funky sweater, funky feet
Funky bitter, funky sweet
Sweet funk is a lady
Dressed in black
With silver buttons
All down her back
Miss Mary Mack
All Dressed in Black

10. Kanye West
Started out producing (making instrumentals) for other artists such as Jay-Z
Known for distinctive style in producing, utilizing recognizable samples extensively, often with the pitch adjusted
Rap breakthrough came with 2003 album The College Dropout

11. Family Business
Listen to the song. Look for examples of the poetic devices we have been studying:
Simile
Metaphor
Allusion
Consonance
Assonance
Alliteration