How do singers, especially lyrically dense rappers, memorize dozens or even triple digit number of songs?

Question

I’m notoriously bad at memorizing lyrics so it’s mind boggling to me.

In: 368

Answer 1

Practice.

With enough of it, once you’ve started (and with the right cues) the rest just flows out.

Once, one of my favourite bands encouraged me on stage to take the chorus of a crowd favourite. I was stoked. Then I realised what I was about to do, and then my mind went blank: “What’s the chorus? How does it even start? This is gonna be embarrassing!”… then they played the cue riff, and the lyrics were all there in my mouth.