The Rose that Grew from Concrete

One of rap music’s vital components is the exploration and use of rhyme. In this short poem, Tupac gives a taste of his versatility as a rhymer but also his discipline as a writer to not succumb to predictable rhymes or patterns. He makes heavy use of slant and internal rhymes and end rhymes throughout the poem.

The poem consists of eight lines with only two precise hard end rhymes, “concrete” (Line 2) and “feet” (Line 4). Notice even this rhyme is complex, in that Tupac is rhyming a multisyllable word with a monosyllable word. There are also slant or off rhymes that happen at the ends of many lines. A slant rhyme is a type of rhyme where the sounds are not quite exact but have similarities and when read or spoken sound like a rhyme. In this poem, Tupac employs slant rhyme between the words “feet” (Line 4) and “dreams” (Line 5), as well as with words “air” (Line 6) and “cared” (Line 7). As a rapper, Tupac was a master of rhyme, and it shines through in this poem.