“Don’t worry if I write rhymes, I write checks!” P. Diddy, Bad Boy for Life (2002)
I was kinda bugged when I recently found out that Rhymefest wrote most (if not all) of Kayne’s banger, “Jesus Walks”. But not as bugged as when I found out that everyone’s favourite street disciple ghostwrote a couple joints on Mr. Smith’s Big Willie Style a while back. To me, there’s something almost Milli Vanilli-ish about an emcee using a ghostwriter. It’s sorta like a chef hiring a cook or a porn star using a body-double and lying about it. But the more I look back, the more I have to accept the fact that ghostwriting’s really nothing new.
Big Daddy wrote for the diabolical one, among others. You could probably field a West Coast all-star squad with the folks who’ve written the Good Doctor’s rhymes. Run-DMC wrote most of License to Ill. Kriss Kross and L’il Bow Wow came live and direct from Jermaine Dupri’s pen, which probably means Da Brat’s filled up a notebook (or two) for hire. Every rhyme slinger from DOC to Eminem to Scarface to MC Ren to Ice Cube to B.I.G. and Melle Mel have put their share of words in many an emcee’s mouth. Most heads know about V.A.’s prolific gun-for-hire Skillz. And of course, back on Vol. 2, Mr. (S dot) Cater himself, told y’all what he’d do for the right price. Come to think of it, T.O.N.E. ghostwrote half of his older brother (the legendary T-La-Rock)’s album, while most of Rapper’s Delight came straight outta Grandmaster Caz’s notebook. (Okay, so that last one was more of a jack-move, but you get my point.) But track records and tradition aside, the question remains:
Is ghostwriting actually good for hip-hop?
Consider: For all its realness and down-to-earthiness, no one’s ever really expected the typical country singer to write all their own songs. I mean, it’s just understood that some folks can sing, some can write and while it’s nice to be good at both, you don’t have to do both in order to be accepted as authentically “country.” No one expects the pop singer to write all their own lyrics. (God knows Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Ashlee Simpson, Blink 182, Madonna, etc. didn’t get signed for their lyrical gifts.) And to be fair, no one ever accused Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Luther Vandross, even Mary J. Blige of writing all their own songs. Elvis didn’t write much of anything he sang. And if you’ve ever sat thru a symphony or an opera, you know that most classical music comes courtesy of long-dead and gone composers. In the end ghostwriters of one kind or another have been part of every genre from jump. And no matter who supplies the words, we love the voice and the genre, just so long as the music is good.

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