10 Rappers Break Down The Most Difficult Verses They’ve Ever Written

Hard Knock Life
XXL asked 10 of hip-hop’s top lyricists to describe the most difficult verses they’ve ever had to write.
Interviews by Dan Rys, Miranda Johnson, Emmanuel C.M. and Eric Diep

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the April/May 2014 issue of XXL Magazine.

It's a fact of artistry: some verses will always be easier to write than others. While some songs just come out right away, others take a lyricist days, weeks or months to find the right words to express what they are trying to get across. That in particular can come into play when a rapper writes about something that hits close to home, whether it be the death of a family member or friend, telling the story of their come up in just the right, nuanced way or getting across a closely-guarded detail of their personal lives in a way that conveys the struggle without betraying a weakness.

But there are many reasons why a verse is particularly difficult for a rapper of any caliber. With that in mind, XXL reached out to some of hip-hop's premier lyricists, from Raekwon to MC Lyte, Tech N9ne to Ice Cube, Scarface to Prodigy, to ask them to explain which verse was the most difficult for them to write in their career. It's a hard knock life.