Classifications On 1) Lyrical proficiency (rhyme patterns, rhyme complexity, flow, etc.) - Lyrics are the most important aspect of hip hop music. How has the artist crafted their words together? What vernacular and vocabulary are used? Do the words cleverly rhyme and flow over the beat? Are the words understandable? Voices are also very important. * Lyrical content (relevance, informative) - Are they merely glorifying drug sales/usage, violent criminal activity, and misogyny, or are they painting a vivid picture of inner city street life and bringing light to social injustices in a poetic manner? Even if the song is an upbeat, partying song, are they speaking of rocking a crowd and having a good time through music, or simply indulging in a combination of opiates and empathogens. * Beats (head knockers, good samples) - The DJ is actually the first “pillar” of hip hop. Does the tone of the beat coordinate with the lyrics and the message that the artist is trying to present? * Production (quality of mixing and mastering) * Impact/legacy (what mark has it left on the culture and the genre? how long will people find the song to be great?)