Sweat the Technique
Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $24.46
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Rakim
-
Written by:
-
Rakim
About this listen
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 LL 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.
©2019 Rakim (P)2019 HarperCollins PublishersYou may also enjoy...
-
My Infamous Life
- The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy
- Written by: Albert "Prodigy" Johnson, Laura Checkoway
- Narrated by: Albert "Prodigy" Johnson
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this often violent but always introspective memoir, Mobb Deep’s Prodigy tells his much anticipated story of struggle, survival, and hope down the mean streets of New York City. For the first time, he gives an intimate look at his family background, his battles with drugs, his life of crime, his relentless suffering with sickle-cell anemia, and much more.
-
-
The Gawd P
- By Barney on 2023-02-10
Written by: Albert "Prodigy" Johnson, and others
-
From Staircase to Stage
- The Story of Raekwon and the Wu-Tang Clan
- Written by: Raekwon, Anthony Bozza
- Narrated by: Landon Woodson, Raekwon
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are rappers who everyone loves and there are rappers who every rapper loves, and Corey Woods, a.k.a. Raekwon the Chef, is one of the few who is both. His versatile flow, natural storytelling, and evocative imagery have inspired legions of fans and a new generation of rappers. Raekwon is one of the founding members of Wu-Tang Clan, and his voice and cadence are synonymous with the sound that has made the group iconic since 1991.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Steve Buske on 2023-06-15
Written by: Raekwon, and others
-
The Book of Jose
- A Memoir
- Written by: Fat Joe, Shaheem Reid
- Narrated by: Fat Joe
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fat Joe is a hip-hop legend, but this is not a tale of celebrity; it is the story of Joseph Cartagena, a kid who came of age in the South Bronx during its darkest years of drugs, violence, and abandonment, and how he navigated that traumatizing landscape until he found—through art, friendship, luck, and will—a rocky path to a different life. This memoir, written in Joe’s own intensely compelling voice, moves with the momentum of pulp fiction, but underneath the tragicomedy and riveting tales of the streets and the industry is a thought-provoking story about a generation of survivors.
-
-
Best Storyteller
- By Tamika Wilson on 2023-07-20
Written by: Fat Joe, and others
-
Dilla Time
- The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm
- Written by: Dan Charnas, Jeff Peretz - contributor
- Narrated by: Dan Charnas
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He wasn’t known to mainstream audiences, even though he worked with renowned acts like D’Angelo and Erykah Badu and influenced the music of superstars like Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. He died at the age of 32, and in his lifetime he never had a pop hit. Yet since his death, J Dilla has become a demigod: revered by jazz musicians and rap icons from Robert Glasper to Kendrick Lamar; memorialized in symphonies and taught at universities.
-
-
A Great Read
- By Ross on 2024-05-12
Written by: Dan Charnas, and others
-
Jay-Z
- Made in America
- Written by: Michael Eric Dyson, Pharrell - foreword
- Narrated by: Michael Eric Dyson, Nick Cannon
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jay-Z: Made in America is the fruit of Michael Eric Dyson’s decade of teaching the work of one of the greatest poets this nation has produced, as gifted a wordsmith as Walt Whitman, Robert Frost and Rita Dove. But as a rapper, he’s sometimes not given the credit he deserves for just how great an artist he’s been for so long.
-
-
a good read
- By Colour Coded on 2021-01-13
Written by: Michael Eric Dyson, and others
-
Superfans
- The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, and Build a Successful Business
- Written by: Pat Flynn
- Narrated by: Pat Flynn
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Customers, followers, subscribers. It's easy to just look at the numbers. How many likes? How many purchases? How many email subscribers? But as entrepreneurs, we have to remember that there are people behind all that data. People who are looking to us to be a leader, to give advice, and to care. In this dog-eat-dog world, these are the people who are looking for someone who they can trust and who they know have their best interests in mind.
-
-
A Super book and Super read
- By Anonymous User on 2023-08-17
Written by: Pat Flynn
-
My Infamous Life
- The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy
- Written by: Albert "Prodigy" Johnson, Laura Checkoway
- Narrated by: Albert "Prodigy" Johnson
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this often violent but always introspective memoir, Mobb Deep’s Prodigy tells his much anticipated story of struggle, survival, and hope down the mean streets of New York City. For the first time, he gives an intimate look at his family background, his battles with drugs, his life of crime, his relentless suffering with sickle-cell anemia, and much more.
-
-
The Gawd P
- By Barney on 2023-02-10
Written by: Albert "Prodigy" Johnson, and others
-
From Staircase to Stage
- The Story of Raekwon and the Wu-Tang Clan
- Written by: Raekwon, Anthony Bozza
- Narrated by: Landon Woodson, Raekwon
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are rappers who everyone loves and there are rappers who every rapper loves, and Corey Woods, a.k.a. Raekwon the Chef, is one of the few who is both. His versatile flow, natural storytelling, and evocative imagery have inspired legions of fans and a new generation of rappers. Raekwon is one of the founding members of Wu-Tang Clan, and his voice and cadence are synonymous with the sound that has made the group iconic since 1991.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Steve Buske on 2023-06-15
Written by: Raekwon, and others
-
The Book of Jose
- A Memoir
- Written by: Fat Joe, Shaheem Reid
- Narrated by: Fat Joe
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fat Joe is a hip-hop legend, but this is not a tale of celebrity; it is the story of Joseph Cartagena, a kid who came of age in the South Bronx during its darkest years of drugs, violence, and abandonment, and how he navigated that traumatizing landscape until he found—through art, friendship, luck, and will—a rocky path to a different life. This memoir, written in Joe’s own intensely compelling voice, moves with the momentum of pulp fiction, but underneath the tragicomedy and riveting tales of the streets and the industry is a thought-provoking story about a generation of survivors.
-
-
Best Storyteller
- By Tamika Wilson on 2023-07-20
Written by: Fat Joe, and others
-
Dilla Time
- The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm
- Written by: Dan Charnas, Jeff Peretz - contributor
- Narrated by: Dan Charnas
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He wasn’t known to mainstream audiences, even though he worked with renowned acts like D’Angelo and Erykah Badu and influenced the music of superstars like Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. He died at the age of 32, and in his lifetime he never had a pop hit. Yet since his death, J Dilla has become a demigod: revered by jazz musicians and rap icons from Robert Glasper to Kendrick Lamar; memorialized in symphonies and taught at universities.
-
-
A Great Read
- By Ross on 2024-05-12
Written by: Dan Charnas, and others
-
Jay-Z
- Made in America
- Written by: Michael Eric Dyson, Pharrell - foreword
- Narrated by: Michael Eric Dyson, Nick Cannon
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jay-Z: Made in America is the fruit of Michael Eric Dyson’s decade of teaching the work of one of the greatest poets this nation has produced, as gifted a wordsmith as Walt Whitman, Robert Frost and Rita Dove. But as a rapper, he’s sometimes not given the credit he deserves for just how great an artist he’s been for so long.
-
-
a good read
- By Colour Coded on 2021-01-13
Written by: Michael Eric Dyson, and others
-
Superfans
- The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, and Build a Successful Business
- Written by: Pat Flynn
- Narrated by: Pat Flynn
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Customers, followers, subscribers. It's easy to just look at the numbers. How many likes? How many purchases? How many email subscribers? But as entrepreneurs, we have to remember that there are people behind all that data. People who are looking to us to be a leader, to give advice, and to care. In this dog-eat-dog world, these are the people who are looking for someone who they can trust and who they know have their best interests in mind.
-
-
A Super book and Super read
- By Anonymous User on 2023-08-17
Written by: Pat Flynn
-
E.A.R.L.
- The Autobiography of DMX
- Written by: DMX
- Narrated by: Beresford Bennett
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
His real name was Earl Simmons. As a child, he placed higher on tests than his fellow students and liked to spend mornings with his mother and sisters playing games and making pancakes. But for young Earl - a boy growing up on the streets of Yonkers, New York - that kind of childhood didn’t last long. Beatings, abuse, and neglect very soon had him moving on to other things, like robbing, stealing, drugs, and, eventually, jail. Along the way, however, he found a talent and a passion for rhyme.
-
-
unbelievable
- By mattyk on 2024-05-31
Written by: DMX
-
Think This, Not That
- 12 Mindshifts to Breakthrough Limiting Beliefs and Become Who You Were Born to Be
- Written by: Dr. Josh Axe
- Narrated by: Josh Axe, Jon Gordon, Donald Miller, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Unlock your potential by cultivating self-awareness and curating a fulfilling life full of self-improvement, emotional intelligence, and a growth mindset. Leadership expert and entrepreneur Dr. Josh Axe teaches 12 revolutionary mindshift transformations to beat the grind and reach the life you've always wanted. Redefine success and replace the limiting beliefs of yourself with the healthy mental toughness to think this, not that.
-
-
Quickly tips into Christian propaganda
- By Gilway on 2024-09-26
Written by: Dr. Josh Axe
-
Adversity for Sale
- Ya Gotta Believe
- Written by: Jeezy
- Narrated by: Jay Jenkins
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To Jeezy’s legion of fans, his name is synonymous with hustle, grit, and the integrity to go out there and achieve your dreams. In his first book, Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe, Jeezy shares never heard stories of what it took for him to beat the odds and get out of the streets, his mindset he carefully honed to get an edge, and the lessons that changed his life and business.
-
-
Street smart and grit at its finest.
- By Rosie Fox on 2024-11-16
Written by: Jeezy
-
Music Is History
- Written by: Ahmir Khalib Thompson, Questlove
- Narrated by: Questlove
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author and Sundance award-winning director Questlove harnesses his encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and his deep curiosity about history to examine America over the past 50 years. Choosing one essential track from each year, Questlove unpacks each song’s significance, revealing the pivotal role that American music plays around issues of race, gender, politics, and identity.
-
-
Music and history
- By snickels on 2023-11-16
Written by: Ahmir Khalib Thompson, and others
-
Split Decision
- Life Stories
- Written by: Ice-T, Spike, Douglas Century
- Narrated by: Ice-T, Spike, Douglas Century
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ice-T rose to fame in the late 1980s, earning acclaim for his music before going on to enthrall television audiences as Odafin “Fin” Tutuola in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. But it could have gone much differently. In this “poignant and powerful” (Library Journal, starred review) memoir, Ice-T and Spike, his former crime partner—collaborating with New York Times bestselling author Douglas Century—relate the shocking stories of their shared pasts, and how just a handful of decisions led to their incredibly different lives.
-
-
Best audio book I have ever listened to!
- By Rose on 2024-04-24
Written by: Ice-T, and others
-
Black Privilege
- Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It
- Written by: Charlamagne Tha God
- Narrated by: Charlamagne Tha God
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Charlamagne Tha God - the self-proclaimed "Prince of Pissing People Off", co-host of Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club, and "hip-hop's Howard Stern" - shares his unlikely success story as well as how embracing one's truths is a fundamental key to success and happiness.
-
-
Better than I expected!!!
- By Kenneth Forbes on 2018-11-15
Written by: Charlamagne Tha God
What listeners say about Sweat the Technique
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2024-03-26
Rakim’s words are wise listen.
Rakim is one of the best and most lyrical MCs! From a hip hop head who loves philosophy, Worth a listen!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-03-06
Master- piece
A book about manhood, integrity, spirituality, science...a blueprint for mcs on how to write rhythms and not sell your soul.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!