The Rewind effect

By Brian Salkowski

Have you ever been listening to a song, and stopped what you were doing to rewind because the lyrics were so dope? It’s the highest compliment that you can pay a rapper and something you should strive to make happen in your lyrics as an MC.

Here’s an example from Nas. It comes from his guest appearance on the Raekwon / Wu-Tang collaboration “Verbal Intercourse” (also a RZA beat). “Through the lights, cameras, and action, glamour, glitter, and gold / I unfold the scroll, plant seeds and stampede the globe” Nas uses vivid imagery. He conjures an impressionistic image of show biz by referencing the familiar phrase “lights, camera, action” but then extends it into “glamour, glitter, and gold.” We’re led to visualize lights, sparkling colors and hues of gold.

He then says, “I unfold the scroll, plant seeds and stampede the globe.” This line operates on many levels. From one point of view “the scroll” represents Nas’ lyrics and the “seeds” he plants are his gritty, street centered content. On this level he’s saying that his words break through the traditional prism of show business to depict a previously unseen reality of intercity living that will “stampede the globe.”

A second interpretation is that the scroll in question is paper that Nas is using to roll a joint. The seeds are the actual cannabis plant, and stampeding the globe refers to the metaphorical power of Nas’ lyrical abilities when he’s high. Finally we can understand the lyrics as describing family. The scroll Nas is unfolding is one of prophecy. It says that his “seeds” or children will one day be a dominant force on the planet. Children can be taken literally or may refer to his musical disciples, fans, or social class. It’s also interesting to note Nas’ word choice of “scroll.” It invokes the middle ages or antiquity and thus creates a feeling of age old mysticism and mystery. He hints at a mythology that’s goes beyond the song and present moment. Its potential meanings are more interesting than if Nas had simply said “I open the notepad.”

The actual meaning of Nas’ content is unclear, and, for our purposes, is unimportant. Nas may have meant any of these interpretations, or he may have meant none. What’s important is that his poetic imagery and ambiguous metaphors create a question in the listener’s mind. He invites analysis and creative interpretation through his lyrics and thus prompts you to rewind. Like any good work of literature, his word choice functions on both superficial and symbolic levels. As a result, the words end up containing far more meaning than their small quantity would suggest.

The power of purposefully creating mystery through vivid and compelling imagery is one of the key takeaways from this example. Nas invites discussion. He makes you think. If you can make your listeners stop and think about what you’re saying, then you’ve extended your presence beyond a given moment. That’s what the rewind effect is all about.

It’s important to note that Nas’ technical virtuosity lends credibility to the ambiguity of his lyrics. In other words, if he was a wack rapper then his subject matter would sound silly. It’s because he’s so precise with his rhyme scheme, flow, and delivery, that we pay attention and appreciate what he has to say.

Let’s take a look at the two lines in terms of rhyme scheme:

“Through the lights, cameras, and action, glamour, glitter, and gold / I unfold the scroll, plant seeds and stampede the globe”

“Gold” and “globe” are the two end rhymes forming the overall structure. Their assonance effect is further complemented by the similar vowel sounds of “fold” “scroll” and the “-mour” suffix of “glamour.” Nas also includes the internal rhyme of “seeds” and “stampede.” The similar sound of all these words creates a buttery smooth flow.

Finally, Nas displays a masterful use of alliteration. The shared first letters of “glamour, glitter, and gold” and “seeds and stampede” serve to create and continue momentum throughout the bars. Nas layers technique on top of technique, as Inspectah Deck did in the first example. The net effect is an epic moment in hip-hop.

An interesting side note is that Nas’ verse originally appeared on an unreleased song called “Deja Vu.” recorded at some time between 1991 and 1995. Nas knew the verse was something special and re-recorded it for the high profile collaboration with Raekwon (it was the first time a non Wu member appeared on a Wu Tang project). By doing so he strategically positioned his best work for maximum exposure. The lesson here is to keep a dope verse ready for a rainy day because you never know when opportunity will strike. One wonders what would have happened if Illmatic would have become a rip-roaring success, just like Ready to Die. One wonders what would have happened if he would have been more commercially successful than Biggie. One wonders if he would have continued to write verses just has lyrically profound as his verse on “Verbal Intercourse”.

Our first two examples came from veteran rappers of the 90s. The songs are hardcore east coast hip-hop and are decidedly of the street genre. Obviously these are not songs you dance to or hear on the radio. They’re made for serious hip-hop heads to enjoy. I prefer this kind of music, but I think that it’s important to note that not all “rewind moments” in hip-hop need be 30 years old and of the purist variety. Amazing moments can also happen on contemporary club singles. If your goal is to be a commercial rapper and make people dance, you can still create compelling artistic music.

Nas would still drop classic tracks such as “Nas Is Like…” and “The Message”, and would continue to prove his lyrical worth by his feud with Jay-Z. Other albums he made would be more successful upon their immediate releases, often going multiplatinum. Nas would go on to be a hot collaboration commodity for established as well as up-and-coming Hip Hop artists, and he would be hailed as an inspiration by current rappers.