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For those who think rap cannot compete intellectually with the classical forms of prose and poetry I present this response; rap is every bit as cultured and elevated a form of expression as the great forms used by Homer, Shakespeare, and Dryden.

The component similar to classical literature and today’s rap is wit. Being synonymous with genius, wit can be defined several ways. It can simply mean intelligence, reasoning power, or mental soundness. In the context of satire, wit is defined as a manner of expression where intended meaning is different from how it is seemingly expressed. During the European Age of Reason, wit was agreed upon as the distinguishing characteristic of intelligence and rational reasoning. Satires that incorporated wit heavily won favorable response from royal and academic audiences. The same witty associations which won writers acclaim in Renaissance Europe are present in today’s rap.

Wit in rap music can be seen in several places. “Dubs”, “benjamin’s” and “whips” are all urban words linked to their respective meanings through wit. Just about any new saying or slang in hip hop incorporates the metaphorical mechanics used by prominent past writers.

In the lyrical form of the battle, wit is also prevalent. When Eminem freestyles “You couldn’t sell two cd’s if you pressed a double album”, wit is used to insult the commercial failure of his rival. The classic scene of insult trading in Magnier’s Cirano di Bergerac is reenacted by modern rap battles.

“The battle” may have even surpassed the intellectual stature of past mediums of satire and prose. With rappers performing in front of an audience with new music soundtracks for every round, rap artists engage in a performance which is half theater and half poetry. Rhyme and rhythm are all essential to the successful delivery of each line. With pressures far surpassing that of two dimensional writing, I argue that rap artists surpass the great minds of the past by performing in a living, three dimensional apparatus. Shakespeare never starred in any of his own plays, yet rappers write, direct, and act in every lyrical battle.

Since it was used in the English language’s earliest story Beowulf in the art of boasting, wit has been an important mechanic of literature. Rap artists are just the most recent performers to reinvent wit with the performance of “the battle”.

In today’s context the quality of rap and literature can both be determined by the amount of wit used by an artist. Literary giants such as Virgil, Shakespeare, and Dryden have all consciously used wit to elevate the texture of their works. Since during the renaissance wit was synonymous with the strength of a poet’s reasoning, I only ask that the same ruler is used for today’s rap performers. Maybe a hundred years from now our children will be studying the metaphorical elements of Eminem’s lyrics; in addition to the classical works of Swift, Pope, and Dryden.