Algorithm determines which rappers have the slickest rhymes
The days of arguing over the worth of your favorite rappers might soon come to an end. Data mining student Eric Malmi has built Raplyzer, an algorithmic program that gauges the average length of a rap or hip-hop star's multi-syllable rhymes (the key to the "dopest flows," Flocabulary says) and ranks that person accordingly. Based on this math, the champions are a mix of veterans and relative newcomers. Wu-Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck is on top, while big names like Rakim, Earl Sweatshirt and ASAP Rocky are near the front.
Malmi is quick to admit that this computer-driven charting isn't perfect. It's only looking for standard American pronunciations, so it won't reflect accents or purposefully skewed words. Also, it assumes that multi-syllable rhymes are what you're looking for -- Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg sit near the back of the chart, but few would doubt their impact on the rap world. Still, if you're tired of having to explain why you think MF Doom is better than Kanye West, you now have some evidence to help settle that dispute.
[Image credit: Coup d'Oreille, Flickr]
