9780062916877
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Sweat the Technique audiobook

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Sweat the Technique Audiobook Summary

The musician and Hip Hop legend–hailed as “the greatest MC of all time” and compared to Thelonious Monk–reimagines the writing handbook in this memoir and guide that incorporates the soulful genius, confidence, and creativity of a master artist.

When he exploded on the music scene, musical genius Rakim was hailed for his brilliant artistic style, adding layers, complexity, depth, musicality, and soul to rap. More than anyone, Rakim has changed the way MCs rhyme. Calm on the mic, his words combine in a frenzy of sound, using complicated patterns based on multisyllabic rhymes and internal rhythms. Rakim can tell a story about a down-on-his-luck man looking for a job and turn it into an epic tale and an unforgettable rhyme. He is not just a great songwriter–he’s a great modern writer.

Part memoir, part writing guide, Sweat the Technique offers insight into how Rakim thinks about words, music, writing, and rhyming as it teaches writers of all levels how to hone their craft. It is also a rare glimpse into Rakim’s private life, full of entertaining personal stories from his youth on Long Island growing up in a home and community filled with musicians to the clubs of New York and the studios of Los Angeles during his rise to the top of popular music. Rakim celebrates the influences that shaped his development, including the jazz music of John Coltrane and the spirituality of the streets, and shares anecdotes spotlighting personalities such as L. L. Cool J. and Dr. Dre, among others.

Filled with valuable lessons for every writer, Sweat the Technique reveals the heart and mind of an artist and his love for great storytelling, and always, the words.

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Sweat the Technique Audiobook Narrator

Rakim is the narrator of Sweat the Technique audiobook that was written by Rakim

Rakim reigns as one of hip-hop’s most transformative artists. Along with his partner Eric B., he recorded 1987’s Paid in Full, the landmark recording that MTV named “the greatest hip-hop album of all time.” Rakim’s inimitable style lyrics, which has drawn comparisons to jazz icon Thelonious Monk, have been cited as an influence on a wide range of top-selling musicians including Jay Z, Nas, Eminem, Tupac, 50 Cent, and The Notorious B.I.G. Rakim is the recipient of the 2012 “I am Hip Hop” Trophy, the 2013 BET Hip Hop Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as multiple Vstrong Hip Hop Honors.

About the Author(s) of Sweat the Technique

Rakim is the author of Sweat the Technique

More From the Same

Sweat the Technique Full Details

Length 6 hours 17 minutes
Author Rakim
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date September 24, 2019
ISBN 9780062916877

Subjects

The publisher of the Sweat the Technique is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs

Additional info

The publisher of the Sweat the Technique is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062916877.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Book Reviews by Tara

January 14, 2020

The title of this book explains it all. In Sweat The Technique Rakim gives a very detailed, inspiring and thought provoking look into his journey as the greatest lyricist EVER...Not the greatest lyricist today...or the greatest lyricist over the last decade...but the GREATEST LYRICIST OF ALL TIME! Rakim delivers this powerful book with the same intellectual storytelling skills that are displayed in his lyrics. With his signature laid back vibe, he bless us with some very insightful moments, all while breaking down his approach to writing rhymes and gaining respect in the world of Hip-Hop.If you want to learn from the best, then look no further! Every lesson you need to become a dope MC is all in this book. Not only does STT contain very valuable advice for MC’s, but there is also valuable advice for creatives in general. Reading Rakim’s lessons is like sitting in a classroom at a top university, while the professor gives a lecture on the secret to his success. He takes the reader to school. A memoir that reads like a how to become a dope MC handbook, Sweat The Technique is broken into 5 Parts: 1. Purpose 2. Inspiration 3. Spirituality 4. Consciousness 5. EnergyEach Part begins with the lyrics to a Rakim song that relates to that topic of the book. Next, he gives the story behind that song. Finally, he follows the backstory with multiple chapters. I enjoyed reading how Eric B and Rakim actually came together. They were not friends, nor did they come from the same neighborhood. Yet, they were brought together by a mutual friend to create one of the greatest hip-hop duos of all time. Rakim also shares personal moments about his closest relationships. One relationship in particular that stands out to me is the loving relationship he shared with his parents, particularly his father. With all the love and support he received from his musical family it’s no wonder Rakim became the G.O.A.T. Sweat The Technique is a lesson in hip-hop history. It’s a book that every fan of hip-hip should have on his or her bookshelf.

Brigham

October 03, 2019

The best way I can describe this book is an old man on his rocking chair and the grandson asking him "how was it like in your day to become a rapper?" To which he responds with a blunt in his mouth "well grandson, let me tell ya what the Golden era was like!".Truly this book has a lot of great insight for a genre I love dearly. This is probably the 2nd best book I've read all year (2019) and truly I loved every second of it. Had a tear roll down my eye on the last page for not just what he said, but that the book was over. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who is a fan of hip-hop music and just a fan of music in general. Rakim comes off as a humble, laid-back dude who's got a lot of talent but still manages to stay true to his core values.

Jamal

October 20, 2019

What a ride !!!! I Felt like ra had Picked me up in his late 80's Benz and took me back to the very beginning . Everything from his young days in wyandanch to his recording his first official single in marley marl studio ( which was in the same ny projects in queens that mc shan , roxanne shante and others recorded in) I Loved to Read about Ra recounting these huge moments in his career. His take on islam and divine mathematics was also super interesting. Excellent read . Thanks rakim

Bree

February 01, 2021

‘Whatever your medium and whatever your level of talent or accomplishment, the first step to unleashing your creative potential is creating connection. Connect with your Purpose; connect with your Environment; connect with your Inspirations; connect with your Audience; and connect with the universal energies that encircle and encapsulate all of us. Anyone can learn tricks and techniques to perfect their craft and follow the examples of masters before them, but the connection you have to yourself must be the ultimate artistic guide. You are your benchmark to success. You are your competition. You are the manifestation of cymatic vibration that shapes the world around you.’A wonderful play by play of lessons on creativity from one of the world’s greatest lyricists. I think anyone who considers themselves a creative should read it.My biggest takeaway is that inspiration is Everywhere.

Dustin

January 30, 2020

Amazing book. Even at a little over 200 pages, he packs a lot in. Rakim’s musical history, autobiography, writing and rhyming technique. His thoughts on life, love and spirituality. And the backstories to things fans of his have wanted to know. Like why the Dr. Dre album fell apart and the reason for his breakup with Eric B. All that’s here. So much knowledge and education packed in. Can’t wait to read it again. Long live the God MC!

Craig

June 29, 2020

Rakim's the gold standard of rap vocals in my universe. I'd heard I Know You Got Soul, but Follow the Leader blew me away and that album, along with Don't Sweat the Technique and Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em sunk deep into my consciousness where they've stayed. If I were choosing one song to make hip-hop haters listen to to get past their stereotypes, I'd go with "In the Ghetto."So I came to Rakim's memoir with mingled hope and trepidation, given the formulaic quality of many music autobiographies. Both my hopes and, in a slightly different way than I'd expected, fears were realized. First the fears: there's definitely a standard struggle story mixed in with hip-hop ego (the motivation for rapping is to be better than other rappers, which for me as a quasi-Buddhist sort of misses every important point). And reading Rakim's take on the higher mathematics of the Five Percent Nation reenforced my sense that, while there may be something buried deep in the theology, I haven't been able to find it.And then the great part of the book. (Pardon a personal digression). When teaching hip-hop in my black music classes, I always told the students that Rakim's sense of flow was jazz in a way that went much much deeper than the sample approach (which I frequenly like) in Gang Starr and Tribe Called Quest. Rakim's approach to flow, enjambment in poetic terms--leaving a line hanging in ways that multiply the meanings when it picks back up--reminded me of Coltrane. So I absolutely loved it when Rakim wrote about listening to Trane's My Favorite Things over and over; and about his discovery of Thelonious Monk. Best of all, he breaks down how he adapted what he was hearing to how he constructs his lyrics. It's by far the best breakdown on how I hear hip hop at its highest end.Required reading for anyone who wants to get beyond the hype.

Carla

October 07, 2019

A real page-turner. Rakim takes us through the experiences with his family, spirituality, and the industry that made him the man and innovative master lyricist that he is today. So glad I bought this book, got to shake his hand, and have him personally autograph my copy.

Mary

July 19, 2020

Rakim channels his reflections into 5 Pillars of Creativity: Purpose, Inspiration, Spirituality, Consciousness and Energy. Thoughtful and introspective, he breaks down his process of writing rhymes, finding your purpose and inspirations. A must read for Golden Era aficionados - 10/10

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