Analyzing the Epictetus Rap By Jeff Traylor

What I really wanted to find is how that this could connect stoicism with the career that I eventually want to get into which is working with at risk youth. I wanted to be able to take these stoic teachings and have something to connect with the kids I will eventually be working with in the future. I think today music is one of the best tools to connect and influence our youth. So I searched for a song that interprets stoical thought into music. I came across this book called The Epictetus Club by Jeff Traylor written for purpose of informing prison inmates of the ideas of Epictetus to help them prepare to return to society. In this book he starts it out with rap lyrics he wrote that have the ideas of Epictetus as a form to help better connect these ideas with the inmates

The Epictetus Rap

My name is Epictetus, here’s what I’m puttin’ down,
If you ain’t got your cog skills, you’re nothin’ but a clown. [He is saying if you don't have the cognitive skills or the power and control over your mind you are nothing, which was an idea he was known for]

You know I was a prisoner, you know I was a slave,
It took all of my mind to control how I behave. [This is just a little bit of background of Epictetus he grew up as a slave in Rome but adopted the idea of controlling your mind when studying stoicism under Musonius Rufus. I think the Jeff is trying to highlight something about Epictetus that will connect with his target audience, prisoners]

But I used my brain to live, I used my brain to get through, I let go of entitlement, thinking I was due
[Him saying he using his brain to live and get through is another connection to your mind being the only thing you have complete control over and don't think that you are owed something just make the best of what you are given. This can connect to a quote from Epictetus’ Discourses, “make the best use of what is in our power, and treat the rest in accordance with its nature.”]

Whatever I wanted, whatever anyone had,
I learned to focus elsewhere, then I didn’t feel so bad.
[This line connects to a quote from Enchiridion where he says, “if you desire something outside of your control, you are bound to be disappointed.” So he is suggesting we turn our desires towards things in our control and then you won’t feel so bad.]

I took my better feelings and opened up my mind,
I saw I used closed thinking, I saw that I was blind


To all my choices, all my options, all my possibility
And I made a vow right then that I knew I could be free


In my mind and in my heart
And in my thoughts is where to start.

[These three lines are about opening your mind about the world and knowing that you can’t blame the world for all of your misfortunes and once you are able to do that you will start to make progress in bettering yourself.]

So let me tell you what to do if you truly want to live
A life you can be proud of, a life where you can give

Instead of taking all the time, doing booze and drugs and crime.
Clear your head, clear your conscience,
Clear your record, clear your mind,
Ain’t no satisfaction in immediate gratis-faction.

[Here he is connecting to one of the two major vices Epictetus states, Lack of self control: not being able to resist pleasure. If you really want to live a good life you can’t just seek the immediate satisfaction posed to you by booze, drugs, and crime. You have to clear your mind of wanting these things and get your self on the right track.]

Now I know you think your circumstance Is the reason for your victim stance,
But you know it ain’t like that
You can survive like a cat.

Turn it on its ear, turn it upside down,
Instead of being crushed, ask how you can turn it ’round.

[The idea of circumstance being out of your control is made apparent here and you cant blame that as the reason you think you have been victimized. What you need to do is rethink things and see it in a better light.]

Don’t just do the time, don’t be a stupid fool,
This here is a place where if you play it cool,


You’ll be stronger in your thinking, stronger in your heart, When you come up out of here, you’ll now know where to start


To live a life of purpose, to live the life you need,
To let go of your past, your demands and your greed.

[Here Jeff is saying not to just serve your jail time and go back to doing what you were doing before that got you there. You have to create a strong mind and that is the start to making a purpose for your life. From there follow that purpose and don't let others including yourself hinder you.]

Instead of robbin’ in the hood, but sayin’ you are good, Get yourself on home, forget that Robin Hood syndrome. Don’t be makin’ no excuses, don’t be blamin’ no one else, Take responsibility and be Master of Yourself.

[Again this goes back to the idea that only ignorant people blame others for his own misfortunes and once you can take responsibility and be in control of your mind progress will be made.]

© 2002 by Maximum511

Overall I think Jeff did a great job in interpreting Epictetus’ ideas into a rap song to connect with his target audience, which are prisoners. I think it really illustrates the sense of having to be rational and taking responsibility of your own thought and mind. Those are two things that although I don't know for sure but I will make an assumption here that being irrational and losing control of your own thought are big reasons why people go to prison. So these teaching can be of big help to inmates or other people who are at risk of being put in the system.

Citation:

Epictetus, and William Abbott Oldfather.  The Discourses & Selected Readings as Reported by Arrian, the Manual, and Fragments. London: W. Heinemann, 1926. Print.

Traylor, Jeff. The Epictetus Club. Monroevill, OH: Papillon Press, 2004. Print.