What's Good: Notes on Rap and Language

by Daniel Levin Becker

A NEW YORKER & GLOBE AND MAIL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A love letter to the verbal artistry of hip-hop, What's Good is a work of passionate lyrical analysis " W hat's Good is, among a great many other things, a byproduct of joyful obsession and immersion into both language and sound, an intersection that offers a rich and expansive land upon which to play." — Hanif Abdurraqib , author of A Little Devil in Notes in Praise of Black Performance " . . . an often hilarious, surprisingly moving and always joyful paean to rap’s relationship to words." —Jayson Greene, The New York Times "Rap, he is not afraid to say, is as close to a universal tongue as we have."— Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker
What's Good is a work of passionate lyrical analysis, a set of freewheeling liner notes, and a love letter to the most vital American art form of the last half century. Over a series of short chapters, each centered on a different lyric, Daniel Levin Becker considers how rap's use of language operates and evolves at levels ranging from the local (slang, rhyme) to the analytical (quotation, transcription) to the philosophical (morality, criticism, irony), celebrating the pleasures and perils of any attempt to decipher its meaning-making technologies.
Ranging from Sugarhill Gang to UGK to Young M.A, Rakim to Rick Ross to Rae Sremmurd, Jay-Z to Drake to Snoop Dogg, What's Good reads with the momentum of a deftly curated mixtape, drawing you into the conversation and teaching you to read it as it goes. A book for committed hip-hop heads, curious neophytes, armchair linguists, and everyone in between. "For those of us who love rap,  What's Good  is a gift. The book offers a new set of eyes and ears through which to see and to hear the language of rap. Its brief and brilliant chapters are like the best kinds of spontaneous and structured, startling and profound. A remarkable achievement."  —Adam Bradley, author of  Book of The Poetics of Hip Hop
"Could this be the rap equivalent of Lewis Hyde's The Gift or Marina Warner's O nce Upon A Time ? Anyhow, it's an electrifying book, full of wild epiphanies and provocations, an exhibition of a critical mind in full and open contact with their subject at the highest level, with a winning streak of confessional intimacy as well." — Jonathan Lethem , author of The A Novel " What's Good is a feat of critical precision and personal Daniel Levin Becker's deep appreciation for rap is rangy and illuminating, and his delight in language is infectious. What a thrill to swing so gracefully from Lil Wayne to Mary Ruefle to the lyrical evolution of 'tilapia'; pure pleasure. A generous, joyful exegesis."— Anna Wiener , author of Uncanny A Memoir

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Hip Hop, Language

312 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2022

Reviews

[Jonathan Hawpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone with love and respect for the art form of Rapping, this is the deep dive analysis of Hip-hop lyrical ingenuity you've been waiting for. As serious as Public Enemy fighting the power, yet playful as The Humpty Dance, Daniel Becker's What's Good celebrates nimble rhymes and dissects layers of meaning with artfulness and gusto.

[Arv Vandelay · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was ok. most observations were largely inane, with some exceptions. (fish=crack. yams=also crack)

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Living in the Bronx when the first rap artists hit, and growing up along with the genre, I disagreed with the author from Chapter One. I didn't agree with his choice of which artists and which songs and even which lyrics were important or groundbreaking. In fact, I found some of his choices far fetched and even childish. Trying to find deep meaning in throw-away rhymes that display more ability with word play than word meaning was embarrassing to read. You are going to devote several paragraphs to that lyric? Really? I found myself saying this at least once every chapter.
What I did appreciate is how the writer emphasized rapper steal/"borrow" from each other. Lyrics echo over time. Someone steals from Jay-Z who stole from Ice T who copied from someone else. They also steal from other musical artists or genres, which then begs the question if rap can be appropriated when the genre itself is built on "borrowing" from everything around. Definite food for thought in that aspect. There are better studies of rap out there, seek them out.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really entertaining combination of scholarship and pure love for the art form. Tackles a ton of the issues you're used to hearing about (misogyny, violence, anti-homosexual prejudice, etc) but refuses to completely disappear down that whirlpool.

On the more bookish side, Becker is an excellent tour guide around concepts like pattern recognition and how the occasional violation of it makes for the most thrilling art experiences, appropriation vs homage, highbrow vs lowbrow and the attendant pleasures of both, the artful economy of "hashtag rap" and its cousins (i'll never again hear a particularly great packed triple entendre without thinking of Becker's description of the lyrics being "springloaded") and signification (far more successfully than David Foster Wallace and Mark Costello did in their hopelessly snooty "Signifying Rappers") and its relevance to the black experience in particular. Becker also gives some delightful inside scoop on some popular lyrical koans like Jay-Z's Jeezy/Lebron/Wade/24/23/3 reference in "Empire State of Mind" .

On the passion/love/fanboy side, Becker does a swell job of loading not only the main text but also the margin with quotes from some of his favorite artists/songs. This aspect alone is worth the price of admission for the Spotify rabbit-holing it inspires. And then there are the occasional love letters to the art that he can't resist:

"This is canon. And what an insane joy it is to be a novice in front of a canon, to begin putting it in order bit by bit, thing after wonderful thing to learn, on your own terms."

"They showed by example how to make art, or maybe truth, by following that faith until the thicket of allusions laid over the song becomes its own surface, until the bubbles are just the wallpaper itself."

"I don't have blind faith in many things, but I have blind faith in language. I want to believe it's good. I do believe it's good. I believe it connects us to each other and to ourselves, that it makes art and sciences possible and accessible and is itself an endlessly rewarding species of both."

"But naturally it's the riddle that's enriching, not the solution: the missing piece and the coolness reinforce each other in infinite regress."

If you love hip hop, this book is far above anything else I've read on the topic.

[Jahan Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reads exactly like what it is, one huge rap nerd's personal account of his relationship with hip hop and the rap community in general. And I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, it may just be difficult for many readers to enjoy if their own experience with hip hop differs in any way. Which is probably most people. However, I happen to be EXACTLY the demographic this book was written for, and I loved every page!

I cannot, in good consience, argue that 'What's Good' is a well structured, high complexity project, but it did "scratch an itch" for me that no other book about rap music has so far. I am grateful to Daniel Levin Becker for speaking truth for all white suburban kids who were raised by this wonderful music and culture, from the outside looking in, and I know I can't be the only one.

[Jason Cady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the author's previous book on The Oulipo, so I was very excited about this book. I had expected he would focus on the brilliant wordplay in Hip Hop—and he does—but, also a lot of the book is about fandom, and many side issues around Hip Hop, other than just the art. But, his writing was excellent and full of insight.

The typography was great. It's a beautiful book.

[Flore Emmerich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinda in between DFW and Tricia Rose. Very funny, sometimes a bit wordy, but sometimes beautifully clairvoyant. Interesting to witness a white jewish guy reflect about his relationship and legitimacy to work / be a fan of hip hop. Had a good time.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm about 15 years too old to know much of the music referenced here. For Millennial rap fans, for sure.

[Alejandro J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love analyzing lyrics. I love rap and hip-hop. This book was great.