Multisyllabic rhymes

In rapping and poetry, multisyllabic rhymes (also known as compound[1][2][3] rhymes, polysyllable[1][4][5] rhymes, and sometimes colloquially in hip-hop as multis[1]) are rhymes that contain two or more syllables[1][6] An example is as follows:

This is my last race / I’m at a fast pace

Multisyllabic rhyme is used extensively in hip-hop, and is considered a hallmark of complex and advanced rapping,[7] and artists are often praised for their multisyllabic rhymes by critics[8][9] and fellow rappers.[2][3] This is in contrast to its use in the majority of other forms of poetry, where multisyllabic rhyme is rarely used, apart from in comic verse where it is used for comic effect[4] by poets such as Ogden Nash.[4]

  1. ^ a b c d Edwards, Paul, 209, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 87.
  2. ^ a b Eminem, with Sacha Jenkins, 2008, The Way I Am, Dutton Adult, p. 17.
  3. ^ a b Eminem, 2004, 'Yellow Brick Road', Encore, Aftermath/Shady, Interscope.
  4. ^ a b c Anderson, Linda, 2006, Creative Writing: A Workbook with Readings, Taylor & Francis, p. 235.
  5. ^ Hogg, Richard M., et al., 1998, The Cambridge History of the English Language, Cambridge University Press, p. 625.
  6. ^ Yoshida, Minoru, 1952, Word-Music in English Poetry , The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 11, No. 2, Special Issue on Oriental Art and Aesthetics, Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The American Society for Aesthetics, pp. 151-159.
  7. ^ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 87-91.
  8. ^ Shapiro, Peter, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin, p. 213.
  9. ^ DiBella, Michael (2016). "The B.U.M.S". AllMusic.