close readings of rap music

close readings of rap lyrics would only be valuable if the author understood the nature of rap lyrics, the gamesmanship and wordplay and allusiveness of them, and didn't read them as some kind of work of literature with "themes" and a "point" (well maybe rakim has a point but he's boring).

Also, what might be the pitfalls to avoid in doing a close reading? Besides trying to OED "skeet," that is.

And yes, I've decided that OED is now a verb.

trying to impose critical categories developed for other artforms onto rap music would be pitfall #1

but does anybody know of a few more good examples of "close readings"
i've posted abt these a few times before, but the adam krims i refd up top is called Rap Music and the Poetics of Identity, and despite its dated and mediocre analyses of AZ's lyrics, it covers the reorchestration of music theory quite well (as i'm sure countless non-rap pop academics have).
this is just a crackpot theory of mine, but there is a book called Dylan's Vision of Sin that reads (listens) Dylan's stuff against poetry classics and the seven deadly sins, and that might be a good starting point for any modern music analysis (esp rap re sin).

amat, i'd think the music and lyrics of rap would go hand in hand in a good system of reading.

(I wonder if the "Jay-Z got corny" meme is in relation to this? Does it really refer to the decreasing intertextuality of his lyrics on his albums?)