Sweat the Technique

More about the book

When Rakim exploded on the music scene, he was hailed for his artistic style, adding layers, complexity, depth, musicality, and soul to rap. Calm on the mic, his words combine in a frenzy of sound, using complicated patterns based on multisyllabic rhymes and internal rhythms. This book, both a memoir and a guide on creativity, offers insight into how Rakim thinks about words, music, writing, and rhyming as it teaches writers of all levels how to hone their craft. -- adapted from jacket