Can Music be Considered Poetry?

Mac Millers song "Ladders" off of his album Swimming, is a beautiful work of art that can connect with anybody on a personal level. The beat and rhythm of the song can get anyone dancing and singing, and the lyrics provide a deep meaning to struggles in life. The rhyme scheme makes the song easy to sing/rap along to.

The song gets into the struggles of life, and how for a period of time you may be climbing, and going in the right direction, but at some moment you may fall off that ladder. Mac Makes this song very personal to him as he had been struggling with many mental demons, that were more prevalent at times due to his drug and alcohol issues.

The song starts with the chorus...
Know it feels so good right now
But it all come fallin' down
When the night, meet the light
Turn to day

This line really sets up the meaning of the poem, and using the opposites of night and light, to equal day, illuminates how the good and bad can come together to make life as a whole.

When you're on top, 'til the ball drop

This line uses the analogy of the New years eve ball drop to show how at one second you can feel on top of the world, and then the next everything can come crashing down. Mac uses the comparison of high and low to encompass the struggles and beauty of life.

I'm swimmin' a bit, but deeper in thought
Keepin' my head on top of my shoulders

The analogy of swimming and the imagery of drowning are seen in this line, which Mac uses to describe his struggle just trying to keep afloat. The word "deeper" in this line refers to the deep end of the pool where it is harder to stay above the water because the bottom cant keep you up.

I think this album is called swimming, because when your swimming the water is always pushing against you, and making it harder for you to move forward. Mac at this time in his life was struggling to just keep moving forward, and to not let the "water" of life drown him.