Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Broad Shoulders

Taylor Bennett is the rapper out of Chicago and little brother to 2013's breakout rapper Chance the Rapper. The song "Broad Shoulders" off of Taylor's debut album of the same name is the first song between the two siblings that has been released. Taylor trades verses with brother Chance to describe their childhood and growth from boys to men. The song's lyrics are rapped through a different perspective for each verse, with the first being Taylor as a young man , then Chance as he grows into maturity, until the last verse which is in the perspective of parents of the teenagers growing up

The biggest source of poetic language throughout the song can be seen in Chance's verse in which he says

"Head on his shoulders ain't his own...
Who forced the hand to make the clone?"

with this language Chance is observing the influence that children have on their kids when growing up and how a big of a role parents have in shaping their children thus " Who forced the hand to make the clone."

Chance induces more poetic lines with a huge nod to the iconic tragedy, Romeo and , written by William Shakespeare; one of the most famous poets of all time.

"A rose by any other text will still be Rosetta"

This line is a play on the famous line " A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet." meaning that no matter the name or reputation of a rose it would still smell beautiful. Chance's twist on the line shows that no matter the language that his wisdom flows through, it is still just as meaningful.

On the final verse by Taylor we hear the unavoidable issues that many parents face when their children reach the teenage years.

"Watch her get older and older until she don't wanna be known as your daughter
Watch him get older and older until he forgets everything that you taught him"

These lines show the the disconnect the parents and their children go through when in their teen years. How young women don't wanna be known as "Daddy's little girl" any more, and sons growing up and going through new experiences that may be against the morals he was taught from his parents.

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