New study shows which rappers have the most expansive vocabulary
A New York based web designer and data analyst, Matt Daniels , took up the ambitious task of comparing hip hop's best emcees to see if their vocabulary stacked up against some of classical literature's greatest authors.
A New York-based web designer and data analyst, Matt Daniels, took up the ambitious task of comparing hip hop’s best emcees to see if their vocabulary stacked up against some of classical literature’s greatest authors.
The inspiration behind the project came from the works of Shakespeare, who was known for having one of the most extensive word banks of all time.
To give it the proper context, Daniels compared the first 35,000 lyrics of 85 emcees to Shakespeare’s first 5,000 words of his first 7 plays and the first 35,000 words for Herman Melville’s classic literature, Moby Dick.
The results were intriguing.
According to the study, some of the genre’s highest selling artists, including Lil Wayne #72, Kanye West #71, and the late 2Pac #68 were among those with a limited vocabulary.
The top 10 featured Black Thought of the The Roots at #7, the Wu-Tang Clan as a collective at #6 and Long Island’s Aesop Rock at number 1, with an impressive 7,392 word count.
Where do you think your favorite rapper ranks? Click here to see the full list and let us know what you think in the comments below.
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