Analysis of Immortal Technique’s Lyrics

Published on November 2, 2011

by The Glaring Facts

Introduction:

Immortal Technique (IT) is considered, today, one of the leading underground hip hop artists. Before pursuing this post, I read over some of the content published online about individual impressions of Immortal Technique. Steve Greaves writes here that, “Immortal Technique will vanish like all other would-be-creatve mortals if he doesn’t apply this insight to his craft with consistency.” Throughout, he makes it clear with unexplained comparisons and empty context-less analyses of Immortal Technique’s CD Revolutionary Vol. 2 that he is bound to approach an unavoidable downfall with his over-agressive style, and potentially ruthless lyrics. As this content analysis will yield, IT is beyond any reviews such as Greaves.

Immortal Technique IS sophisticated hip hop, significantly different compared to the mainstream. This endeavour is relevant simply because it is an overly ignored aspect of popular culture and the music industry in particular. Often, individuals are unable to statistically and qualitatively differentiate the characteristics of the underground compared to its mainstream counterpart, and as such is the goal of this study.

Method:

This study did not only pay attention to statistical methods, as explained in yesterday’s post: Index Measurements for Rap Lyrics, but rather a synthesis of quantity and quality. This study was conducted over a span of one week, transcribing IT’s lyrics with their respective tracks as listed in the Results section. This study followed a revision process, listening to each song once, transcriptions accompanied by many pauses followed by a final listen.

I utilized a synthesis of YouTube music videos, online lyrics in order to compare with my transcriptions and further information (if there was any) regarding individual tracks. As such, this study attempted to be as thorough as possible concerning the methodological aspects.

Due to the lack of interest in pursuit of this study, I conducted this study myself and believe that it has been very thorough.

Results:

This table below depicts the statistical measures this study conducted as well as their results. Furthermore, one can see that Immortal Technique has a very consistent pattern regarding his lyrical style. As you can see below, IT maintains excellent linguistical comprehension and vocabulary. The term “Hard Words” means words that contain 4 or 5 syllables, averaging as high as 122 hard words out of 1,142 words–10.6%. Furthermore, the average syllables per word is 1.43, meaning that IT is able to go beyond simple rhymes like “run” and “sun” to more complex rhyme schemes. This average is compounded by the hard words average, revealing that he has an average hard word count of 65.3 out of the 10 songs this study analyzed. In addition, his lexical density is an average of 50.18, characteristic of low density texts. Similarly, the SMOG Index measure shows 12.49, a value that suggests a college undegraduate would be able to understand his material. While the text may be of low density, nonetheless, a college undergraduate would be able to understand his lyrics, reinforcing that his lyrics are indeed difficult to understand according to the Fog Index average of 15.95.

Table of Immortal Technique’s Lyrical Quality

Song Titles	Counting Averages of Words				Index Measurements				Word Count
Song Titles	Different # of Words		Total of Syllables	Average Syllables/Word	Lexical Density	SMOG Index	Fog Index	Hard Words	Word Count
The Prophecy	285		731	1.60	62.36	18.59	25.37	81	457
Dominant Species	288		854	1.54	18.68	15.11	18.68	88	555
The 4^th Branch	305		764	1.48	58.99	14.31	18.74	64	517
The Point of No Return	313		836	1.38	51.65	11.81	17.16	44	606
Cause of Death	397		1,026	1.40	54.01	10.75	12.50	66	735
The 3^rd World	307		809	1.44	54.53	13.61	18.34	60	563
Dance with the Devil	500		1,537	1.29	41.98	8.72	12.23	49	1,191
Poverty of Philosophy	471		1,623	1.42	41.24	11.82	13.99	122	1,142
Harlem Streets	233		511	1.40	63.84	9.87	10.57	33	365
Leaving the Past	305		754	1.35	54.56	10.29	11.89	46	599
Averages		340.4	944.5	1.43	50.18	12.49	15.95	65.3

Discussion:

IT ‘s texts are both difficult lyrically, yet maintains a very dark foreshadowing, almost imminent vivid illustrations of society today. As indicated in the Results section, IT is distinctively separated from the mainstream for using lyrics and hard words only reinforced in college educational level. While the statistical measures show his distinctiveness, this study will also attempt to explain his uniqueness lyrically.

IT is capable of complex poetry combined with alliteration and poetic prose unseen in the mainstream. To quench the thirst of others who “diss” (shun, name-call, etc..), he states very eloquently :

I might be nobody but wait till I’m together like a symphony
Resounding sound that will continue infinitely…

Some niggas dream of pushing kilos but I drop tons
With more facts and formulas and philosophical logic
Then a basement full of scientists puffing on chronic
Dipped in mycin potassium cyanide and liquid bubonic (The Prophecy).

This is the kind of example often accompanied by IT’s style: alliteration, euphemisms, metaphors, and exaggerations that, once compiled together, appear significantly more valuable lyrically than of the mainstream counterparts. In comparison, read Eminem’s Love the Way You Lie (ft. Rhianna):

I can’t tell you what it really is
I can only tell you what it feels like
And right now it’s a steel knife in my windpipe
I can’t breathe but I still fight while I can fight
As long as the wrong feels right it’s like I’m in flight (Love the Way You Lie).

As is evidently clear, IT and Eminem are of completely different lyrical prowess. Eminem’s lyrics are often accompanied by 1-2 syllables on average, misarranged and grammatically incorrect phrases. Eminem’s lyrics appear very emotional oftentimes and come with a singing that is not characteristic of the rap and hip hop genre. In comparison with IT, Eminem’s lyrics are on average below high-school level diction only made to satisfy the mainstream addiction.

IT’s lyrics focus on estrangement, psychological manipulation, elimination of blissful ignorance and a revolutionary yearning. Immortal recognizes his duties to fulfill this need within his people as exemplified in the Poverty of Philosophy:

Most of my Latino and black people who are struggling to get food, clothes and shelter in the hood are so concerned with that, that philosophizing about freedom and socialist democracy is usually unfortunately beyond their rationale. They don’t realize that America can’t exist without separating them from their identity, because if we had some sense of who we really are, there’s no way in hell we’d allow this country to push it’s genocidal consensus on our homelands. This ignorance exists, but it can be destroyed.

He relishes in the spoken-word form, a poetic form accompanied by stories, experiences, and even as a lecture. Despite most of his other songs have an awe of magnificent intensity, IT is essentially a story-teller as is exemplified in Dance with the Devil:

The devil grows inside the hearts of the selfish and wicked
White, brown, yellow and black colored is not restricted
You have a self destructive destiny when you’re inflicted
And you’ll be one of God’s children and fell from the top
There’s no diversity because we’re burning in the melting pot
So when the devil wants to dance with you, you better say never
Because the dance with the devil might last you forever

Throughout this track, Immortal uses vivid imagery to capture his listeners. It is clear that the intent is to stun listeners into paralysis, only experienced after a revelation. As such, IT’s lyrics refocuses the listener to the threat of government, social and psychological warfare that is hindering the growth of Latino and Black communities. In Leaving the Past he reminds his listeners that slavery was not the only part of their history, attempting to rekindle historical interest.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Immortal Technique reserves a special place in the black and latino culture, using his lyrical influence to motivate and inspire listeners to become more aware. His main interests and activism lies in racism, poverty, and government corruption. It is uncommon though that underground artists like IT would appear video interviews; however, I believe that for IT’s sake that such interviews will only hinder his future, for he does not have the same vocal composure as he does in his music.

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