Coursework Idea: The value of Hip Hop as literature?

For my coursework I plan to argue that the lyrics of Hip Hop (or rap) music can be considered forms of valuble literature and can excite critical interest. I believe this is possible and even within the Anthology is mentions "In the past, definitions of what counts as literature have been much broader than our present definitions" In the past also much of what we consider literature such as 'The Canterbury Tales' by Geoffrey Chaucer would of been performed in a musical manner. The rhythm and rhyme structure is often crucial to Poetry, this is similar with the format of Hip Hop as the lyrics are not sung but instead 'rapped' in a rhythm, when you take this into account you could argue it is a throwback to past times when poetry and stories where performed due to most of the population not being able to read.
Often the literary texts that are considered valuble in the eyes of critics are characterised by he complexity of how it is written. This is seen in Hip Hop, the artists would use complex: themes, structure and language to construct the song. Hip Hop artists will carefully craft their pieces using words which 'feel right'. The anthology notes "writers do not simply choose .ordinary. words, like the words we use for conversation, but words which have resonance, historical associations, beauty, or .rightness. for the particular context."

One piece of HipHop music I have in mind is a song called 'Verbal Intercourse' by Raekwon, Nas & Ghostface Killah

Through the lights cameras and action, glamour glitters and gold
I unfold the scroll, plant seeds to stampede the globe
When I'm deceased, by then the beast arise like yeast
to conquer peace leaving savages to roam in the streets
Live on the run, police paying me to give in my gun
Trick my Wisdom, with the system that imprisoned my son
Smoke a gold leaf I hold heat, nonchalantly
I'm grungy, but things I do is real it never haunts me
while, funny style niggaz roll in the pile
Rooster heads profile on a bus to Riker's Isle
Holdin weed inside they pussy with they minds on the
pretty things in life, props is a true thug's wife
It's like a cycle, niggaz come home, some'll go in
Do a bullet, come back, do the same shit again
From the womb to the tomb, presume the unpredictable
Guns salute life, rapidly, that's the ritual
-Nas

I also found a lecture on this subject by a artist known as Akala, here he points out the similarities between HipHop songs and the work of Shakespeare.