Braggadocio (rap)

When rapping, MCs use braggadocio to boast—to speak about themselves with great pride. Braggadocio may include subjects such as physicality, fighting ability, financial riches,
sexual prowess, or "coolness". Often heavily used in battle rap, braggadocio lyrics can range from just saying, "I'm the best MC ever," to using elaborate phraseology and wit.

Early years

Competition from the old-school hip hop ethic partially explains why braggadocio is used in rap—"my shit is better than yours and that's the bottom line," said MC Esoteric. Gangsta rap helped develop the idea of a "larger-than-life" persona, sometimes to a comedic extreme; however, reading braggadocio literally and seeing it as integral to rap may suppress vulnerability, i.e. an artist's ability to connect emotionally. Braggadocio may also reflect young black men's relief with being given an audience—rapper Murs said, "when you get the microphone, you want to pump yourself up."

Self-aggrandizement

Unlike other bragging by young men about sex, wealth, and physical strength, the subject of rap's braggadocio can also be self-referential—talking about the rapper's artistic or poetic ability. Paul Edwards's book '' How to Rap'' explains a short but complex example of braggadocio: Calling himself Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet, then saying "no Omega" (the last letter), Rakim is suggesting that his flow could last forever—that he starts without ever stopping.

The term did not originate as a rap term; its origins are much older. The term originated in the late 16th century and denotes a boaster. It is from Braggadocchio, the name of a braggart in Spenser's '' The Faerie Queene''. It is a composite of the word brag or braggart, and the Italian suffix -occio, denoting something large of its kind.

Frequently cited items

Financial items cited include
# supercars as different Lamborghini models, SVR, and so on
# Fashion designs
# purses such as Birkin bags
# Luxury goods; for example, watches such a Richard Mille
# Liquor such as Hennessy

Some rappers cite the brands that they endorsed and collaborated on. Travis Scott cites ''Cactus Jack'' sometimes.

See also

* Bling-bling
* Bugatti (song)

References

;Bibliography

*
*
*

Rapping
{{hiphop-stub