Operationalizing variables and rap statistics: The Web site Rap Genius analyzes rap music…

Operationalizing variables and rap statistics: The Web site Rap Genius analyzes rap music using what they call RapMetrics (http://rapgenius.com/posts/63-Introducing-rapmetricstm-the-birth-of-statistical-analysis-of-rap-lyrics). It has developed a measure called rhyme density, which is the proportion of all syllables that are part of the rhyme. Eminem’s
Without Me
, for example, has a rhyme density of 0.49 (49%) because almost half of the lyrics are part of the rhyme, whereas Notorious B.I.G.’s
Juicy
only has a rhyme density of 0.23 (23%). The people behind Rap Genius say, “Over the course of a career, the rappers with the highest rhyme densities are basically the best technical rappers.”
a.       How does Rap Genius operationalize the best rapper?
b.                  List at least three other variables that might be considered in determining the best rapper.
c.        Across all songs, MF Doom came in first with an overall rhyme density of 0.44, and Cam’ron came in second with a rhyme density of 0.41. What kind of variable is the ranking, and what kind of variable is the rhyme density?
d.       Rap Genius summarized its rhyme density discussion by saying: “MF Doom surprised us a little. First the big
New Yorker
profile and now this…it’s too much! Cam’ron is much more culturally relevant and interesting (plus he doesn’t need to wear a mask, he’s naturally silly), so we at RapMetrics™ consider
him
the G.O.A.T. [greatest of all time] MC [rapper] overall.” Rap Genius, therefore, changed its operational definition a bit. What has it added to its operational definition of the overall G.O.A.T. MC?