For the sake of space (and my laziness) I'll let Wikipedia handle
the definition of ghostwriting. And I'll let the Urban Dctionary school you on
what a biter is.
Now it could be the result of me getting old, times changing, geritol kicking in, pants rising up too high, and the fear in me caused by the impending doom of Social Security.....but I was under the impression that in hip-hop one of the most (if not the most) shameful acts you could commit was biting. Whether you were biting a style of dress, a swagger, a scratch, or a rhyme - biting was THE BIG NO-NO! And unless my senility has reach full blossom, I know that fools still call each other out for biting to this day.
I bring up biting for a reason ...
Now, I keep reading interviews from artists who are openly admitting that they ghostwrite. The most recent one I read was a
Crooked I interview, where he talks about ghostwriting for people. It's not that he talks about it - many of us have known (or suspected) that ghostwriting has been going on forever. And it's not about Crooked I either. He's dope as hell, and, if I deemed it acceptable, I wouldn't mind Crooked I tossing me a punchline or two.
But that's the whole thing (for me at least) - it's not acceptable. In hip-hop, having someone say that your lyrics were written by someone else is (read: was) grounds to
knuckle up & chunk 'em! They were either calling you a
biter, or saying that you "cheated" on your emcee test. Either way, your skill, honor & integrity were called into question. It was not a joke. I remember female artists in particular had to constantly fight the stereotype that they always had a ghostwriter.
One thing is for sure though - if it was discovered you had a ghostwriter, it was career damaging. Rhymes are (supposedly) everything, and if you ain't got rhymes....why am I fuckin' with you? Why am I listening to "your" lyrics as if it's you? Who is you ghostwriter??? I wanna cop
HIS album.
And this is why I bring up the aforementioned question. Is ghostwriting acceptable? Again, y'all, I'm an old school semi-backpacker who is not down with the music you crazy kids listen too **shakes crotchety fist**. But even in your circles when you discuss hip hop with your peoples, aren't lyrics a prime factor in determining who's hot? I mean, you can't give them credit for beats, as production is still a whole other beast (but lets not disuss beats....oh lordy). You can't give them credit for their voice alone....if that was the case, James Earl Jones would be tearin' the club up. Swagger, you say? Is that all you need to be a rapper/emcee these days?
I'm just saying - I thought lyrics were the foundation of a rapper. You rip out the foundation...not much to stand on. In my humble opinion.
- Bamm Tronics
(ghostwritten by R&Y Jones)