Favorite Imagery/Punchlines/Wordplay/References from Mike

Discussion in 'Linkin Park Chat' started by Deliveranze, Feb 19, 2017.

  1. #21
    Deliveranze

    Deliveranze Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, Kenji is definitely a piece of art. Just well constructed overall and while I personally think this was Mike's weakest rapping was around this era (2003-2006) this song really is impressive.

    Also another reference
    Wretches and Kings- "To save face/ how low can you go?" Reference to Chuck D's Bring The Noise line "Bass! How low can you go?"

    Also I love these bars from the Wretches And Kings Remix:
    "But you don't really have an option, shouting at the top of your lungs, please stop it
    My woodstock mixed with some '88 Compton, Lucy in the sky with a sawed-off shotgun."
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2017
  2. #22
    Captain-EO

    Captain-EO Also Prog Nerd Now, Thanks Gibs LPA Super Member

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    Love this line. As well as all the song but this line always make me smirk, in combination with the blueprint line, as it's Mike saying Linkin Park is not the same nu metal band from 2000 and emphasizing that they're not writing those songs like Points of Authority again because they've changed. But in such an under-the-radar way. It's honestly really clever.

    AFAIK Points was a fan favorite off Hybrid Theory (and still is), on the same level as the singles and A Place for My Head. So that line packs a wallop.
     
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  3. #23
    minuteforce

    minuteforce Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrance. LPA Team

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    Other than maybe "Runaway", I don't know any song that isn't a fan-favourite from that album:lol:
     
  4. #24
    One More Rob

    One More Rob Well-Known Member

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    Some of my favorites from the top of my head: "The memory now is like the picture was then, When the paper's crumpled up it can't be perfect again"

    "You're like a high-school dropout, no class."

    The entire second verse of "I Have not Begun" is pretty dope too.

    Grudgematch, as a whole (heh theres only one verse) is pretty dope too.
     
  5. #25
    Deliveranze

    Deliveranze Well-Known Member

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    Bringing this back.

    Good Goodbye: "Enemies trying to read me, you're all looking highly illterate"


    Also some weird shit I noticed because I'm just observant.

    One of my favorite verses from Mike is his first verse of the Visionaries track. I'm pretty sure all of the syllables/words rhyme there. He also comes close to rhyming entire verses but misses a syllable. For example, both the first verse of Nobody's Listening and his verse on Like Riding A Bike pretty much rhyme every syllable but both miss rhyming one vowel. The "ay" sound. The word "basement" in NL and "game" in LRAB are the only words that don't rhyme. Though the suffix of "-ment" does rhyme, so technically you could argue that all words do rhyme. However it may be debatable since Mike doesn't always use perfect rhyme (like most emcees).

    "... style and the kids checking for it
    .." question is how could you ignore it"
    Now obviously "question" and "checking" are rhymes. And we know "for it" and "ignore it" rhyme too. However, I will include "Style" and "How" as rhymes as Mike stretches the "yle" and "o" sound in their respective words giving an "a" sound. This is assonance. Now you could say "Del, you're reaching hard here," and that may be true but let's look at another verse.

    This is an example from the first verse of "Standing in the Middle."

    "Where every word from your face comes across as fake and I can hardly take..."
    Mike stresses the "o" sound of "cross" and does the same for the "ar" sound in "hardly" on purpose, so Mike isn't oblivious to stretching syllables.

    Back to Nobody's Listening's opening bars, I would also make the argument that "kids" and "could" are rhymes too. Both start off with the same sound and end with the same sound. Not to mention if we include "style" and "how" as imperfect yet stressed vowel sounds, we can argue that "kids" and "could" are meant to be rhymes, especially how they are structured.

    Just some thoughts. :lol:
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2018
  6. #26
    Sasuke

    Sasuke Modern Prog enjoyer LPA Super Member

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    This is my favorite lyric of the year so far tbh
     
  7. #27
    brady

    brady I am the LPA LPA Super Member

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    Not like me to bump a thread, but this should really be updated. Mike's writing on Post Traumatic was absolutely amazing. I'll be sure to post some new favorites on here :)
     
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  8. #28
    Deliveranze

    Deliveranze Well-Known Member

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    "You're the opposite of stars like rats spelled backwards"

    A fun little punchline. Nothing extraordinary but damn, does it make me crack a smile.

    "A huge act man like I'm known for being Logan, X-23 I'm keen to leave them with a femur broken"

    Admit it. This is the hardest bar on this album.

    " '81 Reagan with that nonsense miss me,
    Father like Francis, Anakin, or John Misty"

    That Reagan line is too raw and I'll give Mike some points for giving a shout to my favorite Star Wars character.

    Also Mike's demo rap verse for Sorry For Now is phenomenal. The rhyme scheme and the imagery is sooo nice.

    "You have gotta be kidding,
    It's a hobby we're living,
    We were sloppily spitting to some wobbly rhythm
    Popping off in the kitchen at parties properly hidden
    I was nervous, but still gotta forget 'em
    Jacket possibly referencing some army division
    And camoflauge-like images, all my idols within them
    Trying to avoid kids my mom strongly forbidden
    So I was probably skipping out to do robbery with them
    Good kid, lived in a bubble and barely knew it
    Probably couldn't recognize trouble to get into it
    Trying to find like-minded rhymers to make a crew with
    But nobody liked the same type of music, I'm used to it
    Thing is, new opportunities I didn't know what to do with
    Sitting there on a sofa, with smokers, gamers, and users
    Knowing I'm not stupid but too unsteady to prove it
    Maybe I'm running to it
    But maybe I'm running through it"
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2018
  9. #29
    Filip

    Filip god break down the door LPA Contributor

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    What the fuuuuck that verse is amazing, should've been on the song
     
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  10. #30
    Vinifeijo

    Vinifeijo i'm dancing with matt damons

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    it felt like Halfway Right-ish for me, since HR is about Chester's childhood/teenage years and influences.
     
  11. #31
    TobinKnowsBest

    TobinKnowsBest 20.03.1976 - 20.07.2017 LPA VIP

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    I think Mike is great in Lift Off, but I will not let anyone tell me that "you're the opposite of a star like rats spelled backwards" is a good line. It's one of the biggest reaches in a bar ever :lol:
     
  12. #32
    Modern Guitar God

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    I like his rapping the most in Over Again.
     
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  13. #33
    Deliveranze

    Deliveranze Well-Known Member

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    I gotta draw more attention to this bar:

    "Drop right back in the cut, over basement tracks with raps that got you backing us up like-rewind that"

    Just an underrated triple entendre.

    1. Your backing up/rewinding the track because it's so good.
    2. Backing us up means your support for them
    3. Mike is remembering the days of making rap tracks in his basement/home and is "rewinding" back to those days.


    Ya know, let's look at internal rhyming in songs that are less obvious. How about some Chester lyrics?

    Every step that I take is another mistake to you
    (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)
    And every second I waste is more than I can take

    Should've played it safer from the start
    Love you like a house of cards
    And let it fall apart
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2018
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  14. #34
    Deliveranze

    Deliveranze Well-Known Member

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    Do I SIT here and try to STAND it?
     
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  15. #35
    Michele

    Michele Praise Brad Delson, our Lord and Savior. LPA Addict

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    Raindrops put the rhythm on the pavement
    And drip from the blacktop into the basement
    Traces of the rain pervade this
    To erase your hate and take this from the fakeness
     
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  16. #36
    Deliveranze

    Deliveranze Well-Known Member

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    The greatest Mike Shinoda verse never officially released:

    You have got to be kidding, it's a hobby we're living
    We we're sloppily spitting to some wobbly rhythm
    Popping off in the kitchen at parties properly hidden

    Great storytelling imagery and a consistent 5-syllable rhyme scheme.
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2020
  17. #37
    Deliveranze

    Deliveranze Well-Known Member

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    A little red cover with a broken SPINE
    On the BACK :halfkappa:

    Kenji heaven sent to represent the next level

    (The next level is heaven but he is next level in skill)




     
  18. #38
    Captain-EO

    Captain-EO Also Prog Nerd Now, Thanks Gibs LPA Super Member

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    What the hell :lol:
     
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  19. #39
    Minus

    Minus ohai LPA Addicted VIP

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    I rate this post a Jesse/10 in overall confusion
     
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  20. #40
    brady

    brady I am the LPA LPA Super Member

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    Don't quite know if it was worth the double post :think:
     

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