Timeless, so age don't count in the booth _x000D_ When your flow stay submerged in the fountain of youth
RakimRead
I start to think, and then I sink_x000D_ _x000D_ Into the paper like I was ink_x000D_ _x000D_ When I'm writing, I'm trapped in between the lines_x000D_ _x000D_ I escape when I finish the rhyme.
Interpretation
This quote explores the deep connection between the writer and the act of writing, representing both a struggle and a release.
Rakim captures the essence of the writing process as an immersive experience that can feel confining, likening it to being trapped within the lines of the paper. This juxtaposition of feeling trapped and eventually finding freedom upon completing the work highlights the emotional journey of creativity, where everything comes alive through the written word, and liberation is found in artistic expression.
In practice
Using this quote in a creative writing workshop to inspire students about the writing process.
Timeless, so age don't count in the booth _x000D_ When your flow stay submerged in the fountain of youth
It's been a long time...I shouldn't have left you_x000D_ _x000D_ Without a strong rhyme to step to.
When you look at hip-hop, I want to do that: to spit fire and take our best from the ashes to build our kingdom; to recognize all the regional styles, conscious lyrics, the tracks, underground, mainstream, the way we treat each other. Lose the garbage and rebuild our scene.
I started studying in '85 and got knowledge of self and started spitting. What was going on was taking the understanding of what I was reading and applying it with my life and applying it with my rhymes.
Take 7 emcees put em in a line_x000D_ _x000D_ And add 7 more brothers who think they can rhyme_x000D_ _x000D_ It'll take 7 more before I go for mine_x000D_ _x000D_ And that's 21 emcees ate up at the same time.
Feed me hip-hop and I start tremblin'
Supreme serenity still remains the Ideal of great Art. The shapes and transitory forms of life are but stages toward this Ideal, which Christ's religion illuminates with His divine light.
I think what really stays with me is the idea that you can write music about the texture of a wall, and everything is in some way connected.
Fiction is burdened for me with a sense of duty.
It is a process of discovery. It's being quiet enough and undisturbed enough for a period of time so that the songs can begin to sort of peek out, and you begin to have emotional experiences in a musical way.
To a degree, the Greek and Roman mythological heroes are just the first superheroes. They appeal to children for much the same reason. These gods and heroes may have powers, but they get angry and they do the wrong thing. They are human too.
Make the verses flow together. If a following verse has nothing to do with the previous, you may lose our listener/reader. You want a smooth flow to hear or read, and it's easier to memorize.
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