This chart measures what rappers repeat the same words the most. This chart is actually an index, as is explained on Wikipedia here.
As the guy who generated this data for me emailed me, "Repetitiveness: This is an algorithm I hand rolled to use on this data. It's similar to vocabulary density, but uses ngrams instead of individual words. I think it gives a really meaningful metric. I got the idea when I saw this meme comparing Beyonce to Freddie Mercury."
I used Excel to create the visualization. The data analyst got the raw material from crawling popular lyrics websites.
Love,
Martin
P.S. - UPDATE:
Here is the data on how many words and how many songs the data was compiled for each artist, so you can decide how big the sample size should be:
P.S. - It's happened so much I had to make an FAQ for negative feedback, so before you offer non-constructive criticism, please read this.
P.S. - If you like this and want to encourage me to write more articles, think about buying a T-shirt here. Don't worry, I won't make any money off it - it's all for the love of the game. The rap game.
Hey,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I just wanted to commend you on your site. It really provides a whole new perspective in how to view rap. I noticed that you analyzed a few of Wayne's songs. I wanted t get your opinion on the technical aspects of a few of his old verses (from the Lights Out album and Sqad Up mixtape:
Got to get it grinding
Got to get it for the sake of cake
Never fake – I bet I’ll kill you for the sake of sake
Young and full of ambition like whatever it takes
Never a day a snake make me/break me, I’m too thorough (whoah)
You no see tomorrow if you try it (no!)
Youngn’ wrap up the game - I two-tied it
I move silent, like gangstas and mobbers
Murderers and robbers relate to my problems
This take all the way back to the days I was starvin’
Caged in apartment, younging Country-Cajun from blazing New Orleans
Raised in the part, where the crazies where caught
Base babies, and cases over babies were fought – (woah!)
But not in court, but in the middle of the court – so pull up a seat, (ok)
Watch a bitch get beat until her fetus’ at her feet
This is only for the streets, I am only from the streets!
Came in the game with them ponies on my feet, (okay?)
Now I’m trading lanes with the chromies on the jeep, (arrr!)
Just the homey, I ain't deep
No phony in me
I vow in holy matrimony with the heat, (I do)
Little whodie act a donkey with the piece, (I do)
Spent all my change paying dues, I’m at peace
And right when it seemed that the team was in defeat, (ok?)
I snatched the ball from cousin, beat the buzzer by 3, now the buzz is over me, (ok!)
And Dizzy, Nut, and Slim
And I won’t stop ‘till Sqad Up and the buzz is over them
I Say – I won’t stop ‘till Sqad Up and the buzz is over them (nigga…)
Sqad Up
Shit’s locked, click clack man
Check me…
They say I’m too young to know about the shit I be talking about
See that’s the type of shit I be talking about
But fuck the world and what they talking about
If you ain't talking about this, then you aren't talking about shit
Listen, I got a quarter of block
I stretch it, let it harden and rock
Then show the hood what a bargain about
-Fuck
I got shop I call it stock
But not on Wall Street, I put this shit on Ya’ll Street so ya’’ll ???
Word to the highest above –
If so happens my raps don’t fly I’ll flip pies and such
Use my, school knowledge, mix science with drugs
And I’m smart enough to know that I’m going to die as a thug
Nigga life’s nothing but getting high off the bud
Cause after that I feel like I could just die in love
For the streets: I got dying love
Two tear drops are crying for, all my dying thugs
Embrace my pistol, with their lying hugs
Keep trying, your lying in blood
Man nigga, I breathe Iron man
My heart pumps lion blood
And when I roar, I grow wings and soar high above –
Birdman, Jr. in the skies above
The turbulence in the air make my tires rub
"I’m about to drop down Phe, Line me Up"
Perfect landing like (whistle) boom!
High, what's up?
You can find me on the corner with stones, quarters and zones
or dope and powder broke, and our sale's soap and flour
And most of our customers come up to us daily
Yet and still I cut this stuff crazy - a hustler, baby
What can I give you? I distribute ki's to the kings and oz's to the fiends,
and ecstasy and weed to the teens
You need to see Wheez - anything you like and I have 'em
From crack to Viagra, and Vicadins valiums
I'm the nigga they point to when you hit my av
So get all your money together, come and get my slabs
I get my cash, put some aside, and flip like half
And still enough for me to TV and deep-dish my Nav'
And you can tell the law that I say they can kiss my acid
For the white people, when I get two bricks for ten, I know the right people
And I keep a nine on my waistline
And I'ma be right on the corner, wodie - I'm gonna grind
yo man, email me with this same question, my answer will be kinda long haha
DeleteCan you please elaborate on the formula used? Also, what songs were sampled? Are these songs spanning a whole artist's career -- from early mixtapes to big label releases? It's a cool concept, but I'm skeptical of the results.
ReplyDelete"This chart measures what rappers repeat the same words the most."
ReplyDeleteHave you counted in "confounding variables" such as
1. Emcees who are lyrical and use a lot of wordplay (such as B.o.b, Snoop, Cube, Nicki, Luda, Mase, Jeezy) tend to repeat themselves (like many other emcees I'm surprised you didn't mention in the same manner)
2. Some I listed do not have the biggest discographies (such as Em, Wayne, Hov, Nas) who actually repeat themselves, way more as they have a ton of material.
3. This is clearly biased and chooses Mainstream or rappers from the past who were Mainstream, you don't like, mixing them with those they shouldn't even be compared to.
Hey man, I appreciate the discussion. Hit me at mepc36@gmail.com so we can talk, this comment system sucks for back-and-forth.
ReplyDeletethanks man!
Nigga Nigga Nigga (x14)
ReplyDeleteAsap rocky, phoenix.
Very interesting!
ReplyDeleteQuick question, do you have an opinion on Mick Jenkins? His flow is unique and very interesting to me. I personally thought that The Water[s] was one of the best projects of 2014.
You missed Mike Jones!
ReplyDelete(who?) Mike Jones!
(who?) Mike Jones!
Mick Jenkis is one of the best from the last 5yrs, i really strongly hope he gets the success he deserves, and Water[s] is the truth, top mixtapes of 2014 for certain.If you are considerin doin a post about him, do it.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the post i guess Snoop was kinda expected on the list, but Kanye i didn't saw it coming. I'm a big Eminem, fan but i figured he'd be on that list given the amount of times that he said "Shady" (and the obvious rhymes "crazy" and "baby").
Anyways great post Martin, good job!
Hi how did you miss E-40.
ReplyDeleteHi how did you miss E-40.
ReplyDeleteHey man, the computer told me what the computer told me. In fact, the program ended up not being able to crawl for every rapper, so E-40 actually wasn't included in the final tally at all :( haha
DeleteAnyway, sorry about that! If you want I can give you the whole thing on every rapper, just hit me up on email.
Thanks LaJuan!
Peace,
Martin
I'm having trouble understand how to read this. Ex. Will.I.Am - He has around 18,328 words in his 44songs. What is the 113 number identify? Basically, how do I understand the percentage of word repeated given the total number of songs used? Does that question make sense? haha?
ReplyDeleteHey man! Sorry you're having trouble understand it. That "113" number is actually random, and meaningless; I just had to assign a random, consecutive number to every rapper, so I could follow their path as I re-organized the data from its original random state into an ordering based on repetitiveness. As far as That other number above Wll.i.am's name, .674, that number is NOT meaningless; however, it is only meaningful within the context of the data. That is, that .674 is more than very other repetitiveness number assigned to a rapper because they are all being compared to each other. It doesn't mean that 67.4% of all of Will.i.am's words get repeated over a verse; it only expresses the extent to which Will repeats words more than the other rappers here.
DeleteThat help? I hope so! If not, let me, preferably over at mepc36@gmail.com...I check my email way ore often than here, haha.
Thanks for reading!
Peace,
Martin