Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

[gta95]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

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Mos Def.

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Black Star (Mos Def + Talib Kweli) - Respiration

One of my favorite flow songs.

[NC State-31 UNC-27]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

Your original definition is pretty spot on. It's how well you ride the beat. Think Eminem in "Gatman and Robbin"

But just because someone says Fabolous' flow "isn't that good anymore" doesn't mean he is off beat. It can mean that he just isn't absolutely killing it.

There are obviously different levels of flow. For the most part, IMO, the more you use the beat the better. You can still flow on the beat and not use it as much though, maybe like 50 in "In da club"....he rides it well, but isn't murdering it.

[Streets]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

Using the "riding the beat" definition of flow... Talib and Ghostface do not fit the description, yet Ghost is still in my top 5 and Talib is a great MC as well.

[DTX3]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

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[USF11]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

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Mos Def.

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Black Star (Mos Def + Talib Kweli) - Respiration

One of my favorite flow songs.

There is a Talib Kweli track "What I seen" using a beatles song that has a segment of the best flow I have ever heard. I have no Idea how he doesnt take a breath.

[ehh]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

When I think of flow this always comes to mind first...

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[DTX3]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

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[jerseyboi2284]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

When I think of flow this always comes to mind first...

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Man I'm not from nor have ever even hung out in Brooklyn but I can recite that 1st verse like I ghostwrote it for B.I himself

[NC State-31 UNC-27]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

Using the "riding the beat" definition of flow... Talib and Ghostface do not fit the description, yet Ghost is still in my top 5 and Talib is a great MC as well.

Actually this made me think a little bit....There are really two types of "flow"

One would be riding the beat.

Another type would be what I would call "just straight spittin'"....I know that is very ambiguous but it's obviously very tough to expalin. Ghostface is one of those guys you could listen to all the time without a beat. He can flow. So it's not necessarily about the beat, but also just getting in a rhythm and rhyming your *** off. Black Thought is another one of those guys for me. Not sure else how to explain this but I know what you are saying.

[cubsfan203]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

Your original definition is pretty spot on. It's how well you ride the beat. Think Eminem in "Gatman and Robbin"

But just because someone says Fabolous' flow "isn't that good anymore" doesn't mean he is off beat. It can mean that he just isn't absolutely killing it.

There are obviously different levels of flow. For the most part, IMO, the more you use the beat the better. You can still flow on the beat and not use it as much though, maybe like 50 in "In da club"....he rides it well, but isn't murdering it.

Good call.

[Cebby]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

"Visualizin the realism..."

[gta95]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

"Visualizin the realism..."

"of life and actuality..."

[CMH]

Re: Hip Hop - What is Your Definition of Flow

Another type would be what I would call "just straight spittin'"....I know that is very ambiguous but it's obviously very tough to expalin. Ghostface is one of those guys you could listen to all the time without a beat. He can flow. So it's not necessarily about the beat, but also just getting in a rhythm and rhyming your *** off. Black Thought is another one of those guys for me. Not sure else how to explain this but I know what you are saying.

Very true.

I think we're getting closer to describing flow here. We understand it but it's hard to put into words. Each of us has dropped in a thought or two but it hasn't been the complete answer.

What I think is that there aren't two types of flows. It's really the same but it seems like two because I started off this thread with a poor definition - flowing to the beat.

Good flow is rhythmic. Probably stilll not the best answer but I think this is what we are all getting at here. Whether there is a beat or not, when your flow sounds like musical notes then it's right. It's smooth.

It's like listening to Mozart. The keys he hits are smooth. The music is relaxing. You can lean back and appreciate what he was composing.

I think this gets lost with people that don't like rap or say that rap is stupid and not music. They don't understand that good rap is music. To flow right is to compose beautiful music. Ok, so beautiful maybe sounds a bit soft but really, that's what we hear. We hear something amazing.

I work for a Music and Events Production Company and the CEO is a rapper. We had this conversation once and I feel stupid for basically forgetting it when I brought this thread up. He talked about how good rappers make music with their voice.

Guys like Jay are commonly said to be talking to us. Jay-Z just has this ability to talk to us like we're having a conversation with him. But that's still music. That's what he's doing. He's composing this flow that is so natural, so smooth that we feel like we're no longer listening to rap. We're listening to music.

The voice in rap, much like the voice in singing a song, is an instrument. All things in music are instruments.

You can't just find a beat or create one in your head and just say things that rhyme. That is not music.