It’s perfectly fine if you want to craft your own lane in Hip Hop, but you aren’t going to get far if you don’t pay homage to those before you.

It’s likely something you are doing is some kind of variation of what’s been done before. The best way to know if you’re biting or stealing other’s work is making sure to “do the knowledge”. If you don’t know the ledge you’re about to fall off, the fall will hurt.

Here’s a brief lesson in making sure to pay homage.

Know The Ledge

Before you rap know this,

don’t ever sound bogus,

biting rhymes not designed for imitating rogue

writers who never cypher

rhyming like some cattle,

livestock to the slaughter if

you never know the forefathers,

 

Flash to Afrikka, Kool Herc to Theodore,

that’s the first four but after there’s many more,

but before the rappin’,

deejayin’ was the passion,

breakbeats so sweet before ya know it you dancin’,

and taggers bombin’ walls with art to leave in awe,

 

crime you might call it, but that’s ’cause you’re not all

in on this culture, full of too many vultures,

break that beat with your feet,

can’t forget those breakers bringin’ the heat,

Treatin’ you five ways to Sunday,

 

Mourning like Monday

if you don’t learn every way,

in which to engage this and not appropriate it,

in case you need inspiration,

I’m no savior,

 

but Rakim’s songs

best be in your music player,

Busy Bee to Kool Moe Dee,

Monie B. to Roxanne Shante,

how many more name drops needed,

before you properly engage

 

Dropping off the building is your future,

if you don’t stop biting sooner,

know the ledge before you fall,

or that’s fate telling you this the end, that’s all.