Ten Basic Poetry and Literary Elements:
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Kurtis Blow – If I Ruled The World Lyrics
Yes yesy’all
The best y’all, yes yesy’all
Huh, huh, huh, huh, yes y’all
If I ruled the world, was king on the throne
I’d make peace in every culture, build the homeless a home
I’m not runnin’ for Congress or the Presidenta
I’m just here, to tell the world, how my story went
You see, first it was a dream, I was livin’ in Rome
And then I moved to London, bought a brand new home
And everywhere I went, I drew lots of attention
Like a stretch limousine, one of those new inventions
It took a few years ‘fore the day had come
But I was ruler of the WORLD ranked number one
So I headed towards Washington to claim the crown
Let the whole world know that, the King was in town
As I, arrived, the crowd started to cheer
And then someone yelled out, “The King is here!”
So I headed toward stage, to make a speech
about the new style of living I was gonna teach, uh-huh
If I ruled the world
Huh-huh, huh-huh uh-huh uh-huh
I’d love all the girls, I love ’em love ’em baby!
Black diamonds and pearls, ooh yeah yeah
If I ruled the world
People started flowin’ as they reached for my hand
I said, “Thank you for bringin’ me to the Promised Land
But now I must go, say goodbye to everybody
Tonight I’ll see you all at my Super Dinner Party”
And late that night, at my Super Dinner Party
I was dancin’ to the beat and entertainin’ La-Di-Da-Di
The music started endin’, it was time for a speech
The crowd started sittin’ as I rose from my feet
And this was once a dream, I explained to the crowd
But now, I rule the world, and I feel, so very proud
Excuse me please, for stoppin’ this show
I just had to thank you all, huh, and me so
My first day in office, the King on the throne
I spent my first three hours on the telephone
You know with newsmen reporters, and votes too
I had so many calls, I didn’t know what to do
You know out that office I continued to work
I signed so many papers, my fingers started to hurt
Then I shook off the pain, say this ain’t no thing
‘Cause there’s nothin’ in the world like bein’ number one king!
If I ruled the world
Huh huhhuhhuh, huh-huh huh-huh
I’d love all the girls, I love ’em love ’em baby!
Black diamonds and pearls, ooh yeah yeah
If I ruled the world, whoa yeah
If I ruled the world
Now I rule the world and now, I’m on top
And I’m rollin’ with folks that could never be stopped
And I’m here to let you know this is where I belong
And to you sucker emcees that sing my song
And it’s a song that’s strong about right and wrong
And I’m rock it to you baby baby all night long
And it’s a song about love, and happiness
In a world of peace, and you know that’s fresh
Now I’m the king, and I want you to know
That I’m the Master Blaster Rapper who’s runnin’ the show
And to all of you rappers in every country
You better stop what you’re doin’, and listen to me
‘Cause we gotta stop war, and use unity
To fight crime and hunger and poverty
‘Cause the African baby is dyin’ overseas
While you sucker mission politicians bustin’ out Z’s
Huh, twenty million people all unemployed
While the rich man try to play Pretty Boy Floyd
While the working class just struggles hard
Try to make ends meet against all odds
While the poor man can’t even deal with life
You know he tried to escape, and smoked the coke on the pipe
And it’s time for a change, to a better way
‘Cause the sun has gotta shine through the cloudy day
So listen up world, while I teach this class
And take heed to the message or we ain’tgonna last
‘Cause I know, the solution, is the contribution
Of woman and man to just join the revolution
That’ll take your brain to a higher plane
And help you deal in a world that’s gone insane
With the problems that I know we can stop
From the ruler of the world and the man on top
But the years went by, and time was up
And the ruler of the world had ran out of luck
And all the people at the time who said they were my friends
Didn’t know me when my job had come to an end
They came up to my face, as happy as can be
He was running his mouth like, Muhammad Ali
So I shook his hand calmly as I headed to the door
On my way to the ghetto to treat once more
If I ruled the world
I’d love all the girls, I love ’em love ’em baby!
Black diamonds and pearls, ooh yeah yeah
If I ruled the world, yeah
If I ruled the world, if I ruled the world
I’d love all the girls, I’d love ’em love ’em baby!
Black diamonds and pearls, ooh yeah yeah, oh yeah yeah
If I ruled the world, whoa yeah
If I ruled the world, yeah yeahyeahyeahyeahyeahyeah
Yeahyeahyeah, yeah yeahyeah
I’d love all the girls, you know I’d love ’em love ’em baby!
Diamonds and pearls, ooh yeah yeah, oh yeah yeah
If I ruled the world, yeah yeahyeahyeah baby baby
If I ruled the world, if I ruled the world
I’d love all the girls, yes you, you, you and you
Black diamonds and pearls, where those diamonds, where those pearls?
If I ruled the world
If I ruled the world
I’d love all the girls, I’d love ’em love ’em baby
Ten Basic Poetry and Literary Elements
1. Simile – a comparison of two unlike things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Example: “Some issues need to be addressed like envelopes”
– Andre 3000 “13th Floor/Growing Old” on Atliens
2. Metaphor – a comparison of two unlike things without using like or as
Example: “God’s a seamstress who tailorfitted my pain”
– 50 Cent “Patiently Waiting” on Get Rich or Die Tryin’
3. Personification – an inanimate object is given human like characteristic
Example: “Yo, if rap gets jealous, words that were admitted // I used to be a public
enemy, don’t forget it”
– K’naan “If Rap Gets Jealous”
4. Hyperbole – a great exaggeration
Example: “Put food on the table, fed the whole city”
– Rick Ross “Valley of Death” on Deeper Than Rap
5. Alliteration –at the beginning of words, there is a repetition of consonants
Example: “Cuz it’s cool when ya cause a cozy conditionin’ // Which we create, cuz that’s
our mission”
– Snoop Dogg “Lodi Dodi” on Doggystyle
6. Assonance – anywhere in the words, there is a repetition of vowels
Example: “Hustlers, dealers and killers’ca move swift”
– Nas “Made You Look” on God’s Son
7. Consonance – anywhere in words, there is repetition of consonant sounds
Example: “The most meanest emcee on this — on this Earth”
– Eminem “The Way I Am” on The Marshall Mathers LP
8. Onomatopoeia – words that sound like the name of the word
Example: “Streets on click clock. Eighty grand just to see the Jacob go tick tock.”
– Jeezy “Trap Star” on Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101
9. Repetition – words or phrases are repeated
Example: “I’m educated but I’m dumb on that microphone // Don’t even bother, you’ll
get done on that microphone // I turn a father to a son on that microphone // I’m a
revolver in the slum on that microphone // And tell the Source I don’t need no
microphone.”
– Joell Ortiz (from Slaughterhouse) “Microphone” on Slaughterhouse
10. Rhyme – sound alike endings of words
a. End rhyme – At the end of lines, words rhyme.
Example: “Just think of all the people that you knew in the past // that passed on, they
in heaven, found peace at last”
– Tupac Shakur “Thugz Mansion”
b. Internal rhyme – Words that rhyme are in the middle of the line.
Example: “My function is to make much ‘n’ lay back munchin’”
– Jay-Z “Can’t Knock the Hustle” on Reasonable DoubtWork as a group with to identify as many literary elements as you can in the following
quotations as well as the Langston Hughes poem on the following page:
1. “And in a slug fest I get physical like physicians
And visual like magicians with mystical mic traditions
Wicked wizardry, like a sorcerer and no remorse for ya
When I torture ya throughout the course of my orchestra”
– Eminem “Open Mic” on Infinite
2. “Yo, I’m sure that everybody out listening agree
That everything you see ain’t really how it be.
A lot of jokers out running in place, chasing the style
Be a lot going on beneath the empty smile.”
– Mos Def “Thieves in The Night” on Black Star
3. “My rhymes never ricochet needless to say
I’m just like the word kill only minus the ‘K’
If you hear my track play close your eyes and pray
I’m just like the word basic only minus ‘B-A’”
– Benefit “Exact”
4. “If the game shakes me or breaks me
I hope it makes me a better man
Take a better stand
Put money in my mom’s hand”
– Notorious B.I.G. “Sky is the Limit”I Dream A World
By Langston Hughes
I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom’s way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth
And every man is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankindOf such I dream, my world!
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